The brutal act shocked the entire country last year: former regional councilor and entrepreneur Josef Fill and his family were brutally attacked, tied up and injured by three perpetrators in their home in Gurten (Upper Austria). On Thursday, three men will appear before the jury and risk fifteen to ten years in prison.
The shock is always deep: “We are still afraid of nighttime noises. “It wasn’t like that before,” Josef Fill told “Krone” after the clarification of the attack on July 17 of the previous year became known.
Not the only burglary
The main suspects are a North Macedonian (47) and a German-Kazakh (43), who will both have to answer for the crime of aggravated robbery. The 43-year-old is also suspected of serious theft by burglary on April 1, 2023 in Leoben, during which he stole valuables worth more than 20,000 euros together with an as yet unknown accomplice.
A suspected drug dealer and two serious criminals
The North Macedonian has nine previous convictions to his name and is also under investigation in Germany for aggravated robbery. And his alleged German-Kazakh accomplice also has eleven relevant criminal convictions to his name in his home country. The third suspect, a man from Innviertel (28), who is due to answer for large-scale drug trafficking in October, is said to have been the informant of the intended perpetrator; he is said to have actually ordered the burglary.
Masked window broken
On the day of the crime, the first suspect (47) entered Austria from Germany with two unknown accomplices, met the second suspect, 47, and drove to the victims’ home. The two main suspects and one of the accomplices are said to have entered the home through a broken window, wearing gloves and balaclavas. Meanwhile, the other unknown person waited as the driver in the getaway car.
Family tied up with cable ties
The three perpetrators are said to have first encountered the couple’s daughter in the home and overpowered her. They tied them up with cable ties, sprayed them with an unknown liquid and placed them in a walk-in closet. The suspects then allegedly overpowered the elderly couple, tied them up with cable ties and sprayed them with liquid, causing the former regional councilor to fight back and suffer a fracture of the fifth metacarpal bone.
Loot worth over 90,000 euros
The suspects also threw items of clothing over the heads of all the victims. They allegedly demanded that Josef Fill hand over “black money” – “otherwise they would do something to the women,” according to the indictment. The robbers then searched all the rooms and took various valuables worth a total of 91,572 euros before finally fleeing.
Up to 15 or ten years in prison
If convicted, the two main defendants each face five to fifteen years in prison, and they have pleaded guilty. The third defendant faces one to ten years in prison; he denies committing the crime.
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.
