DProsecutors have asked for a prison sentence of 11 years and three months for a man who is said to have tried to kill his wife. According to the indictment, he first shadowed the woman who wanted to distance herself from the man and then ran towards her with a knife in downtown Frankfurt on the Roßmarkt. She was able to escape to a restaurant, whereupon he hit the door with a hatchet.
At the beginning of the trial, the accused said he didn’t want to kill the woman, he just wanted to intimidate her. However, the public prosecutor’s office emphasized his meticulous preparation for the crime in his plea on Monday: On the day of the crime, he deliberately rented a car with tinted windows and hid in it for hours. When the woman was standing in front of a restaurant, he jumped out of his hiding place and ran towards her, holding a knife over his head. He taped a total of five knives, including cleavers, to the inside of his jacket with a washcloth and adhesive tape. Only through fortunate circumstances did the woman manage to get inside the restaurant in time and thus escape the attack.
Beat on the door with a hatchet
A video recording of the spot in front of the restaurant makes the scenes objectively understandable, the prosecutor continues. It shows the defendant hitting the door with an axe. According to the prosecution, the intention to kill is thus established, murder characteristics are malicious and base motives. The accused despises women, which becomes clear in his use of language and in his conception of marriage. He demanded daily sexual intercourse and wanted to impose his ideas in the household. He also has an “extremely high level of criminal energy”. He was also convicted of aggravated rape.
The lawyer for the woman involved in the proceedings as a joint plaintiff agreed with the public prosecutor’s application. The accused wanted to kill his wife because his pride and honor had been hurt. He is a narcissist with a high potential for violence, which is also illustrated by the cable ties in the rented car.
In its plea, the defense said it was difficult to argue against evidence such as the video recording. The prosecutor’s description of the defendant’s image of women is also correct. However, this does not qualify as attempted murder. The video shows the defendant’s potential for aggression, but he didn’t hit anyone, just windows and doors. It was “a show” to intimidate his wife. An attempted murder is not objectively recognizable, but only a threat, coercion and “mental bodily harm”. The defense therefore requested an acquittal on the charge of attempted murder.
The regional court plans to announce its verdict on Wednesday.