Gang of window drillers – burglaries in villas: Hungarians have to go to jail

The Hungarian-born group had joined a criminal organization and organized a division of labor to break into posh mansions on the outskirts of the city. On the last day of the trial, a victim’s housekeeper testified as a star witness for the prosecution against the gang’s alleged bosses. The couple is 50 and 53 years old. “The two are the head of the criminal organization. Don’t let her appearance fool you! The two have the word and the money,” prosecutor Franziska Fent said in her closing address to the jury. The court accepted the charges and the two were each sentenced to three and a half years in prison without parole.

Offender insults his legal representatives
After the verdict was announced, the couple’s legal representatives, lawyers Philipp Wolm and Peter Philipp, were offended by the 53-year-old and subsequently relinquished their power of attorney. The 53-year-old apologized and – like his wife – accepted the punishment. The public prosecutor has not issued a statement, so these statements are not final either.

Contacted housekeeper
The 50-year-old had met a compatriot in a prison. When she took a job as a housekeeper for an elderly wealthy lady after her release in Vienna and posted pictures of the villa on Facebook, the 50-year-old contacted her again. Apparently from the beginning with the ulterior motive that there was a lot of money to be made in the villa, as the former housekeeper now suspected in her interrogation as a witness.

Searched the store on first visit
According to this, since 2017, the plan should have been to vacate the noble villa after the housekeeper received the couple several times for visits to her official apartment in the villa. “I was so naive,” the former housekeeper told the court. During one of the first visits, the man suddenly got up and inspected the premises for an hour: “I didn’t think they would take the opportunity to assess the situation.” But then she heard the man open the store and rummage through it.

Because of this, the housekeeper allowed herself to be persuaded to get involved in criminal activity, as she admitted, “It’s a huge pity for me.” On a later visit, she gave the couple the keys of the villa owner for various keys. She even gave them the key to a safe in the laundry room “much to my shame”, whereupon the man immediately emptied and stole gold coins and cash. The money was divided into three: “I received less than 1,000 euros.”

79-year-old tied up and left behind
Later that night, the two professional burglars with relevant criminal records used the counterfeit bowls to break into the villa. The 79-year-old owner heard the intruders from the room where her large safe was located and did not retreat. “She is really brave. She goes into the room where the two men are,” the prosecutor said. The 79-year-old was tied up hooded by the two men and asked for the code. After cleaning up the safe, the two simply left the elderly lady tied up with a cable and cloth. The Public Prosecution Service qualified this charge as theft with aggravating circumstances and deprivation of liberty. According to the charge, jewelery worth some 100,000 euros was stolen.

While the couple pleaded “not guilty” in court, the direct perpetrators have confessed. So was the fifth defendant, a 28-year-old man who acted as a driver. The hitherto blameless man was sentenced to three years in prison, one unconditional, which he accepted. The Public Prosecution Service reserves the right to appeal.

Housekeeper requested clemency
The former housekeeper had contacted law enforcement agencies on her own initiative and applied for clemency, which she was granted after speaking out extensively against the couple. “Otherwise she would be in the dock with you today,” the prosecutor emphasized.