BRECKENRIDGE, Colo.—Summit County prosecutors dropped assault and harassment charges Thursday against an Australian man who chucked a snowball into a co-worker’s back at a ski resort.
Prosecutors said it was in “the best interest of justice” to dismiss the case against 21-year-old Andrew Thistleton. They didn’t elaborate.
Authorities say Thistleton hit Michelle Oehlert with the snowball in February when both were working at a Copper Mountain ski resort rental shop.
Oehlert told police the blow was painful because she had an injury from a car accident. She also said Thistleton and two other people were taunting her.
Thistleton’s lawyer said the snowball was just play.
“It’s a long time overdue, but I’m certainly happy with the result with the trial being dismissed,” Thistleton said Thursday. “It’s just a never-ending nightmare, but now it’s finally over.”
Thistleton had been scheduled to go on trial Thursday morning for a second time. His first trial ended in a mistrial on Dec. 7 when Oehlert said on the stand that Thistleton would sometimes “brush his hand against my behind.”
No sexual misconduct allegations had been raised before, so the judge ended the trial.
Thistleton’s mother, Dr. Kim Anderson, said prosecutors had offered earlier to reduce the charges if her son would plead guilty, but he wanted a trial because he did not believe he had committed a crime.
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Information from: Summit Daily News,
