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SHERBROOKE, Que. — A Quebec soccer player has been found guilty of assault after he injured a referee by throwing a ball that struck his head.

The incident occurred during a particularly heated match in Sherbrooke in June 2017.

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Ruben Dario Meza Lazaro, 35, was found guilty this week of armed assault and assault causing bodily harm.

“In this case, the court has insisted the object (a soccer ball) can be a blunt object depending on how it is used,” Sherbrooke La Tribune quoted Crown prosecutor Isabelle Dorion as saying.

The newspaper said two players refused to leave the pitch in the first half when the referee gave them red cards. He ended up abandoning the match with 38 minutes left.

A total of between 10 and 15 players from both teams surrounded the official before he received the ball on the back of his head.

The accused, a native of Colombia, testified he wasn’t aiming for anyone in particular when he threw the ball.