A Lower Austrian spent almost a decade and a half in prison and was long ago classified as harmless by a psychiatrist. But the stress of everyday life became too much for the 41-year-old. After two attempted arson attacks, he was again placed illegally in a forensic therapy center and given a prison sentence.
The Lower Austrian has spent a total of fourteen years of his life in a forensic therapeutic center. According to a psychiatric report, a personality disorder makes the 41-year-old dangerous. This is also evident from the suspect’s previous convictions, including rape and theft…
Basement set on fire twice
Now he is back in the regional court of Korneuburg (Lower Austria) – for arson. He is said to have set fire to a basement room in his house in Gramatneusiedl for the first time on March 9 and for the second time in mid-April. Although the fire brigade was always able to extinguish the fires before anything worse happened, the Lower Austrian still has a lot at stake in his trial: Not only does he have to answer for two charges of attempted arson, the public prosecutor is also asking for his detention again.
Forensic psychiatrist Peter Hofmann first diagnosed the 41-year-old as suffering from ‘sustainable stabilization’: he had a stable relationship, a steady job and led a normal life. But that also had its pitfalls: a lot of stress at work, renovation work in the apartment and eventually an operation on his partner threw the suspect off balance: “At some point it got to a point where I couldn’t do it anymore. Sometimes I found myself in a state where I didn’t know myself anymore.”
Fire “just happened”
And in this state, the arson would have ‘just happened’. Because he did not start the fires deliberately, ‘like his last actions’. The first time he “played stupidly with the lighter”. A few weeks later he accidentally dropped his burning blowtorch. “I was just full of thoughts.” Shortly after the incidents he told the police a very different story, in which he spoke about two strange men who had allegedly attacked him…
According to the prosecutor, the motive for the fires was ‘friction with a neighbor’. He regularly got angry with her and her children. They stood in the way with their bicycles and left the front door open all the time. In court, the young woman reported in tears: “He spoke badly about me to all the neighbors. He is a racist. I don’t know what I did to him. He burned everything down completely. Everything is gone.” Her belongings, which she had stored in the basement, were completely destroyed.
Third briefing for Lower Austrians
One neighbor after another is questioned as a witness in the regional court of Korneuburg. The property manager reports the damage – a total of 129,000 euros. After court psychiatrist Peter Hofmann had also spoken behind closed doors, the non-legal verdict was passed: four years in prison and placement in a forensic therapeutic center – now the third husband of the 41-year-old.
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.
