A 14-year-old boy was sentenced to 12 months in the court of Linz on Thursday, 11 of which were suspended, because he drove around in someone else’s car four times, ignored not only traffic rules but also police checks and caused an accident with four injuries . The boy, who showed remorse, must also meet several conditions and pay almost 3,000 euros to the injured party. The verdict is final.
According to the indictment, the 14-year-old along with friends took four vehicles in the fall and winter of 2022 that did not belong to him and that he was not allowed to drive. He tore through the area with the cars, sometimes at very high speed, according to the public prosecutor, the young people should have also driven it. Refueled twice without numbers.
Drives at 150 km/h
The last incident in December had the most serious consequences. At that point, a friend would have “organized” the car. The suspect got behind the wheel and, encouraged by his buddies, raced from a shopping center in Pasching via the Mühlkreisautobahn to Gallneukirchen and back to Linz – sometimes driving at 150 km/h and overtaking columns of cars on the hard shoulder. He ignored and broke through police checkpoints and gave chase with law enforcement officers. Once, the 14-year-old collided head-on with a patrol car, the driver of which was only just able to avoid a collision. During the suspect’s wild escape from the police, an accident occurred in which four people were injured, including the boy himself. Several cars were damaged.
Long list of crimes
The list of crimes the prosecutor has charged the young man with is long and ranges from unauthorized use of vehicles to defiance of state authority, attempted grievous bodily harm, negligent bodily harm, willful endangerment of the community and withholding from documents to fraud. The young man admitted that he had “borrowed” a moped even before he reached the age of criminal responsibility, and that he “found” the key at the time – but admitted that he was also specifically looking for it.
Mountain of debt of about 11,000 euros
The suspect, who according to his lawyer has already built up a “mountain of debt” of around 11,000 euros as a result of administrative fines, has been detained for a month and a half – “I didn’t do very well there” – and now wants to graduate and do an internship , as he protested. In court, he seemed remorseful and insightful. However, there was disagreement about the young person’s driving skills: “Are you good at driving?”, the judge wanted to know. “Okay,” was the suspect’s self-assessment. “But that reads differently in the act,” was the dry answer.
He must apply for probation
The jury found the 14-year-old guilty and imposed a 12-month partial probation. Since he has already served the unconditional part with pre-trial detention, the youngster was allowed to go home on Thursday. But he must apply for probation, undergo psychotherapy and prove his academic progress.
The sentence range was up to five years
The sentence range – mainly for deliberately endangering the community – was up to five years. The boy took advantage of the fact that he had previously been criminally responsible and had confessed. As he said goodbye, the judge told him he probably wouldn’t get off so lightly next time. An adult could face up to ten years in prison for these acts. And he was lucky too — the 14-year-old’s driving style could have killed him, according to the judge.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
