Suspended Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman Slava Voynov will stand trial on a felony charge of domestic violence after a judge deemed there to be sufficient evidence to move forward with the case. The 24-year-old Voynov, who was charged with a felony count of corporal injury to a spouse with great bodily injury last month, appeared in a Torrance, California, court for a preliminary hearing during which shocking details emerged.
According to reports of police testimony, an officer of the Redondo Beach Police Department told the court that Voynov had punched, kicked and choked his wife, Marta Varlamova, at the couple's home in October. Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office lead prosecutor, Frank Dunnick, said, "There's evidence to suggest prior domestic violence," according to the Los Angeles Times. Voynov, through his California-based lawyer Craig Renetzky, maintains his innocence, and Voynov's wife has also stated through her personal attorney that the incident was an accident and that she does not want her husband charged.
But from testimony heard, the incident sounded much different. The officer who gave testimony told the court about a bloody scene he discovered at the couple's home and that Varlamova said she was scared. According to reports out of the courtroom, Varlamova had a wound above her left eye, caused after Voynov pushed her into a flat-screen television, that required eight stitches to close. Voynov, who was arrested at the hospital after medical staffers called police, was immediately suspended by the NHL and has not played a game since Oct. 19. Earlier this month, the Kings were fined $100,000 for allowing Voynov to practice with the team, violating the terms of his suspension. Voynov is set to be arraigned Dec. 29.
