Nova Festival Survivor Caught with 'Drug Store' in Apartment – Court Determines Sentence

A court sentenced a Nova Festival survivor to only nine months of community service after an unusual quantity of drugs, including cocaine, MDMA, and ketamine, was found in his apartment. Judge Shmuel Malamud deviated from the standard sentencing range due to the defendant's severe mental state since the massacre, his desire for rehabilitation, and the fact that he was found clean of drugs.

The Magistrate's Court sentenced a Nova Festival survivor to only nine months of community service after an unusual quantity of drugs was found in his apartment. The prosecution sought a sentence of 6 to 8 years in prison, after over 4.5 kilograms of solid, psychedelic drugs and tablets, along with over 3 liters of liquid drugs, were seized in his possession. The drugs found included cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, psilocybin, GBL, and 414 ecstasy tablets. Judge Shmuel Malamud ruled that his actions were severe and created potential for harm, but deviated from the standard sentencing range due to the defendant's exceptional circumstances as a survivor of the Nova massacre. The defense attorney, Adv. Yuval Zemer, described how during their escape, the defendant's close friend was shot in the head and killed on the spot, while the defendant lay under his body for about five hours in an overturned vehicle. The judge also considered the defendant's desire for rehabilitation and the fact that he was found clean of drugs.