Holiday Plans Triggered Cemetery Brawl in Vienna: Colleagues Convicted

Following a physical altercation at the Ottakring cemetery, during which they hit each other with a shovel and an iron rod, two cemetery gardeners were held accountable at the regional court on Thursday. The older of the two, a 47-year-old with no prior convictions, received a twelve-month suspended sentence for serious bodily harm, while his 42-year-old colleague received a four-month suspended sentence for bodily harm. The verdicts are final.

Dispute escalated over vacation plans

The violent scenes took place exactly one year ago, and during the trial, it was not clear to observers what had provoked the two men so much against each other on July 10, 2024. The trigger was allegedly the fact that the older man revealed to his colleague that he wanted to go on vacation with a woman to a specific place in Turkey. This supposedly offended the younger man's religious feelings, which he expressed through insults and derogatory remarks towards the 47-year-old, who then reported this to their superior.

Attacked each other with tools

The situation then escalated completely. The 42-year-old allegedly first grabbed a pair of garden shears and made moves to attack his colleague. Shortly after, he armed himself with a 50-centimeter-long iron rod, which prompted the younger man to equip himself with a shovel. The men then attacked each other with the tools.

The 47-year-old, who was hit by the iron rod, suffered a bruise on his left shoulder and a laceration on his forehead. The younger man was more seriously injured. He had to be hospitalized with a fracture of the glenoid rim of the left shoulder blade and a rib fracture.

Court did not grant self-defense to defendants

Before a jury, both claimed self-defense. They each argued that they were defending themselves against an imminent attack by the other. "He feared for his life," said Michael Babic, the legal representative of the 47-year-old (law firm Rast Musliu). His client still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, which Babic confirmed with a specialist's certificate. The 42-year-old countered that he is still unable to work due to the injuries he sustained and is on sick leave.

"Neither is justified in claiming self-defense," declared the presiding judge at the end. Both men had armed themselves and "used the weapons in the course of the aggression they had escalated into."

(APA/Red)

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