Prison Sentence After Attack on Motorist in Vienna

The robbery of the driver occurred on May 20, 2022. The defendant initially spent time at the Ziegelteich at Wienerberg to sunbathe and, according to his own statements, consumed five to six beers. "It was still a bit too cold for swimming," he explained before a jury panel.

Defendant Denied Intent to Rob in Court After Incident

Later in the afternoon, he walked towards Meidling, and while crossing a street, he was almost hit by the 39-year-old. This "extremely upset" him, so he first hit the hood of the vehicle and then sat on a back seat in the car: "So I can explain to him that he almost hit me." He claimed he had no intention to rob ("What would I do with the car? I don't even have a driver's license"). However, he admitted that there was a physical altercation: "I also punched him. Then I fled. That's the story."

Victim Feared for His Life During Robbery

The victim's version sounded very different. The completely unknown man had torn open the car door when he had to stop at a traffic light, "grabbed him by the head," and demanded the car and money. Then he was beaten "completely bloody" by the defendant. He only had 20 euros with him and offered the young man more money: "I couldn't give him the car. I had a stroke and was dependent on it because I could only walk with crutches at the time." "I was terrified. Afraid that I would be killed," emphasized the 39-year-old. After getting out of the car, the defendant knocked him to the ground. He received kicks, then the man ran away and fled with a bus of the Vienna public transport. The 23-year-old was identified after lengthy investigations through images from a surveillance camera. The victim suffered a fracture of the orbital floor and nasal bone, a fracture of the left carpal bone, and a fissure of the left kneecap. He had to undergo eye surgery and still suffers from the consequences of the injuries to this day, as he made clear during his witness questioning.

Jury Panel Sentences Defendant to Two Years in Prison

The jury panel followed the victim's account and dismissed the defendant's version as "very little credible." The 23-year-old was found guilty of attempted robbery and serious bodily harm and sentenced to two years in prison. Six months were imposed unconditionally, and the rest was conditionally suspended with a three-year probation period for the previously unblemished individual. Additionally, probation assistance was ordered, "so that you can get your life under control," as the presiding judge remarked in conclusion.

(APA/Red)

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