
A 48-year-old drank in a discount store in the Main-Kinzig district without paying. The police found a knife on him. Now he is on trial in Gelnhausen.
Gelnhausen – Despite 3.75 per mille, he was still thirsty in the discount store. A 48-year-old man was apparently badly burned. The man from Hasselroth in the Main-Kinzig district went to a discount market in Freigericht early in the evening on November 29, 2024 – to have a drink. Now he stood before the Gelnhausen district court
According to the Hanau public prosecutor's office, the man in the discount store is said to have purposefully gone to the wine rack and grabbed a bottle of grape juice. He didn't go to the cash register, but opened it right there, took a sip from it and then put it back again.
Theft with weapons? Drunk man drinks in discount store
The man then walked past the cash register towards the exit without paying. However, a saleswoman observed the brazen action via the store's video surveillance system, stopped the man and called the police.
When the officers searched the 48-year-old, they found a so-called cutter knife, the type used by craftsmen, in his open jacket. Therefore, a complaint was filed against the man for theft with weapons.
The defendant claimed in court that he could not remember the incident. He also couldn't recognize the cutter knife as his in pictures, even though he worked as a craftsman in the region. The memory gaps may be explained by the man's alcohol level at the time of the crime: a measurement showed the impressive level of at least 3.75 per mille.
Judge wants to hear from the police officers involved
Although the defendant couldn't remember, he apologized for the crime: “I'm very sorry and it's not like me to be out and about with a knife.” However, the 48-year-old has often come into conflict with the law. The representative of the public prosecutor's office already found six theft cases in the files, all of which were discontinued without any conditions in view of the current case.
That's why Judge Leana König wanted to get to the bottom of the accusation in this case. However, since no witnesses were invited to provide further clarification, she initially postponed the proceedings in order to at least hear the police officers involved. A curious fact: the 48-year-old has very little knowledge of the German language. That's why he needs an interpreter to be able to follow the proceedings.
According to the court, its national language is quite rare, so there are almost no interpreters for it in Germany – apparently only mainly in the Berlin area, according to the chairwoman. However, with some effort she managed to organize a translator from Marburg.
Most recently, a 39-year-old from Bad Soden-Salmünster stood before the Gelnhausen district court. The man is said to have threatened a woman with death. According to Islamic law, he is married to two women. He has two children with both of them. However, the constellation brings problems. (ls)





