Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe was acquitted of manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic when a not guilty verdict was handed down today (March 5). After spending five weeks in a a Czech prison this past summer and standing trial over two sessions this winter, Blythe is a free man.

Czech news agency Blesk.cz reports that the three-judge panel acquitted Randy Blythe today after a trial that lasted four days in February and then resumed for another two days this week. The metal vocalist was detained on suspicion of manslaughter in June 2012 for his alleged involvement in the death of 19-year-old fan Daniel Nosek as the result of a fall from the stage at a 2010 Lamb of God concert.

Prior to the verdict, Blythe addressed the courtroom today, stating, "I know I did not hurt or want to hurt anybody that night. I can understand the pain that the family of Daniel is experiencing. Daniel was a fan of my band. I had no wish to harm him. He was just a boy and I wish he was still here. If ultimately the Czech legal system sentences me to prison, I will do my sentence like a man. I have searched for an answer to this situation, the only one I can find to this tragic and horrible accident."

According to The Gauntlet, earlier today, the last expert testimony of the trial came from a biomechanics expert who testified that the alleged victim, Daniel Nosek, could not have turned his body 180 degrees if pushed off the stage. The expert also stated that Nosek would have had to have jumped to land beyond the first row of fans.

WTVR reports that after the decision, the State Attorney revealed his intention to appeal the ruling. He has eight days to file his appeal.

This morning, before entering the court, Blythe took to his Instagram account, to post the following message:

It's a beautiful morning in Prague, & time for me to go to what is (hopefully) my final day in court here- supposedly judgement will be passed today & I will move on with my life in one direction or the other. Which direction that is, I do not know. I could walk free, or conversely go to prison for up to ten years. Such is my life right now, & I must stay in this moment until its resolution. Whatever happens to me, do not feel sorry for me, for I am at peace & refuse to feel sorry for myself. Life happens. Deal with it. Some people cannot understand why I have returned, saying I should not come back here. KNOW THIS, & mark my words well- it would be absolutely intolerable for me to hide from this situation. I am an innocent man, but a family suffers the loss of a son, a fan of my band. That is what this whole thing is truly about, not prison, not money, not politics, not ME- it is about a young man who lost his life at just 19 years of age. He will never come back, & it breaks my heart. I would not be able to sleep at night knowing that I did not behave honorably & try to give his family some answers. That would be disgraceful, and I do not wish to dishonor myself or my family by acting in such a cowardly manner. I was raised to face my problems head on. For me, this is BEING A MAN. I categorically refuse to live in a constant state of guilt & fear. I would rather die. My morality & convictions are not dependent upon unforeseeable circumstance, nor malleable when difficulty arises. So I walk this morning to court with my head held high, no matter what others opinions of me may be. I have to face myself in the mirror, & tomorrow morning, where ever I may wake up, I will be able to do that without regret. This is THE ONLY path to true freedom for me- peace within myself. This is the manner in which I choose to try my best to live my life, & I hope you all do the same- do your best to do what is right, no matter how difficult it may be. I promise you, this will bring you peace. I thank you all for your support, I wish you all a good day, & to quote one of my favorite movies: STRENGTH AND HONOR.

Then, after the not guilty verdict, the Lamb of God frontman posted the following message accompanied by the photo below:

I have been found not guilty & acquitted of all charges against me. I am a free man. This photo was taken by my friend @aceyslade- it says it all. Please remember the family of Daniel Nosek in your thoughts & prayers in this difficult time. I only wish for them peace. Thank you for your support- Randy