Nicklas Bendtner sentenced to 50 days in prison for punching taxi driver

The former Arsenal striker will appeal the judgement

Nicklas Bendtner has been handed a 50-day prison sentence for a violent attack on a taxi driver in his native Denmark. Appearing in court in Copenhagen on Friday, the 30-year-old was involved in a late-night altercation on September 9, allegedly over Bendtner and his girlfriend attempting to leave a taxi without paying the £5 fare after they became unhappy with the driver's directions. The taxi driver suffered a broken jaw after throwing an object towards the couple, for which he has been fined and released. Bendtner claimed he was acting in self-defence and denied the charges, before being handed the jail term and an 11,300 kroner (£1330) fine. "I responded in self-defence," the footballer said in court. "I was surprised by it, but I hit him in the head with my hand. "I thought the driver would hurt me. As we confronted each other, we lifted our arms at the same time, and I hit him first." Bendtner confirmed immediately after the hearing that he will appeal the sentence, having publicly apologised in the days after the incident. The news has prompted the Danish Football Association (DBU) to consider the striker's future with director of football Peter Moller stating that the call is up to national team boss Age Hareide. However, Bendtner's future at Norwegian side Rosenborg is nonetheless secure, as general manager Tove Moe Dyrhaug confirmed after the verdict was announced. Signing for the Trondheim outfit in 2016, he had accrued cult status for his efforts in English football with Arsenal, Birmingham, and most recently Nottingham Forest.