It was ‘pure coincidence’ and thanks to his own resistance, a Viennese taxi driver suffered only minor cuts to his neck. A young passerby attacked him with a razor blade in each hand. Who always carries sharp objects – in his mouth. On Thursday, the jury sentenced him to a long prison term for attempted murder.
Pepper spray, brass knuckles, knives: the list of items taken for self-defense is long. However, the choice for a 29-year-old Syrian who always carries razor blades with him when he leaves the house is special. And in your mouth! “I have traveled through many countries and had many problems,” the refugee explains, saying that he would spit his swords at his opponent in defense.
Taxi driver attacked with razor blades in both hands
The crime that brought the suspect before the Vienna Regional Court was more of an assault. Because the Syrian was walking through Simmeringer Hauptstraße in the middle of the night on July 12 when the red light came on, a taxi driver honked angrily at him. “It was a traffic dispute that completely escalated,” the lawyer begins. Out of anger, the 29-year-old allegedly hit the hood with both fists and knocked off the side mirror of the car. Until the taxi driver finally got out.
“At that moment he panics,” is how the young man’s lawyer summarizes the following attack on the taxi driver: With two razor blades that the suspect had with him – the taste of metal in his mouth bothered him that day, so he them in his pocket – , he attacked the victim. Dangerously targeted: “A person’s neck area is a very sensitive, vital region. The fact that nothing more happened is pure coincidence,” the prosecutor accuses of attempted murder. The fact that the cuts to the throat and neck were not fatal was solely due to the taxi driver’s resistance.
“I’m a peaceful person!”
However, the Syrian only pleads guilty to damage to the car mirror and minor bodily harm – at least initially. When asked by the judge, he says: “I made a mistake by crossing the street when the light was red. I am a peaceful person. I never wanted to harm anyone except to defend myself.”
“A Zniachtl, you would say in Vienna,” the lawyer describes his client, “anything but what you imagine as a brutal, violent criminal.” He refers to the Syrian’s “difficult escape route” to Austria that ended in 2022. That’s why he always removed and resharpened the razor blades in his mouth…
The jury ruled that the attack on the taxi driver was an attempted murder. The 29-year-old is sentenced to 18 years in prison, which he will accept during the trial. The verdict is therefore legally binding!
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.
