A 47-year-old with a previous conviction was sentenced to eight years in prison by the regional court in St. Pölten on Thursday. He deliberately caused serious bodily harm to two acquaintances with a knife attack, because the court had not made a final judgment.
A 47-year-old was sentenced to eight years in prison in St. Pölten on Thursday for a knife attack on the street in Wilhelmsburg (St. Pölten district) last October. The Turkish national is said to have attacked and injured acquaintances aged 29 and 39. A guilty plea for intentionally causing grievous bodily harm is not legally binding. The jury rejected the attempted murder charge.
The attack has a complex history. According to the prosecutor, the 47-year-old – he was born in Turkey and has lived in Austria for 22 years – had had a ‘friendly relationship’ with the wife of one of the later victims for some time. The partner of the affected person did not like that very much. He discovered an affair and the couple apparently argued several times. On October 11, 2023, the wife finally left the marital home. She warned the suspect by telephone that her partner was planning something against him.
“Wounded honor”
Based on this history, the determining factor for the attack the next day was “the insulted honor of the suspect” and an “emotional escalation,” the prosecutor concluded. The temporary separation and various rumors may have now circulated in the Turkish community.
The 47-year-old, who already had two previous convictions to his name, then went to the Wilhelmsburg company of a 39-year-old acquaintance – ultimately to determine his position in the relationship case. The suspect said in the jury trial that stones were thrown at him there.
Deep stab in the back
“There is a war of words and a scuffle,” the Turk’s defender admitted. The suspect allegedly stabbed his opponent five centimeters deep in the back with a kitchen knife he brought with him. “When I saw the blood, I was in shock,” the suspect said. The 39-year-old still cannot understand the attack, even several months later. “I have never had an argument with this person,” he emphasized on the witness stand.
The second victim’s life was in danger
The 29-year-old husband of the suspect’s confidant came sprinting to the scene a short time later. “I heard a commotion,” the witness said. After making a threat, the 47-year-old allegedly stabbed this man in the stomach. “It was short and sweet. I got hurt and boom, boom, it was over,” the victim recalled.
‘I didn’t want to hurt him. The point is that I was completely confused by this situation,” the defendant said, according to the interpreter. A wound 15 centimeters deep was then discovered. According to forensic pathologist Wolfgang Denk, the 29-year-old’s life was in danger and he was intensively treated for several days at the Wiener Neustadt regional hospital.
Attempt to escape by car
Before emergency services arrived, the suspect fled in a car. The Turk was stopped and arrested in the Lilienfeld district. The kitchen knife with a blade length of approximately 20 centimeters was seized from the car.
The main question about attempted murder in relation to the attack on the 29-year-old was answered in the negative by seven of the eight lay judges, but there was agreement about intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm. The attack on the 39-year-old was classified as attempted grievous bodily harm.
The 47-year-old must pay the victims 4,000 or 15,000 euros. The conviction is not final and the Public Prosecution Service, the defense and the two representatives of private parties have not made a statement.
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.
