The witness at the Vienna Regional Court can still see the horror of late June: on her way to work, she was surprised by a man – armed with a wooden slat with a long nail sticking out of it. The 35-year-old now admits to the judge: “I clearly need professional help. I can’t do it alone.”
Early on June 28, a 32-year-old woman was calmly waiting for a tram at Lerchenfelder Straße station when suddenly a man quickly walked towards her – carrying a wooden slat with a nail on it. “He said: ‘Give me cigarettes and money!'”, the completely frightened woman recalled in the Vienna Regional Court. And kept talking about ‘that look’ the defendant had.
“Not a good mix”
The 35-year-old now explains to the judge: “I took morphine with alcohol. And there was also heroin and cocaine in it.” – “Not a good mix,” Mrs Rat remarked dryly.
The Serb cannot be blamed for the attempted robbery; he is only accused of committing a criminal act while completely drunk. And he confesses to this. Even though he can no longer remember the episode with the wooden stick.
His lawyer Andreas Reichenbach explains: “In his memory it was not a robbery, he was just shouting at the woman.” However, the 32-year-old reports extremely aggressive behavior. The officers who intervened later can also confirm this. Because the suspect simply did not want to drop the wooden bar with the nail and even attacked the officers with it, they had to disable him with a defense spray.
Not the first conflict with the law
The Serb tried to make it clear in court that he didn’t really want to hurt anyone: “I can’t imagine robbing someone for cigarettes and some money. A robbery is a big problem.”
This is not the first time the father of two has committed a crime. His previous convictions include theft, burglary and document offences.
But now he is open to improvement: “How long is this going to go on? I clearly need professional help. “I can’t do it alone,” the 35-year-old says of his drug addiction.
For the fifteen months in prison he is serving, lawyer Andreas Reichenbach is asking for therapy instead of punishment. The verdict is final.
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.
