ruth901
A 32-year-old was sentenced to a suspended sentence in the district court for theft and bodily harm. Two incidents were discussed – both sequences of events were somewhat strange.
Fulda – The first of the two acts occurred in July 2024. Witnesses reported that the defendant was inside with two shopping bags I went to the Rewe market on Dalbergstrasse but left the store without paying. An employee at the time gave chase. “I shouted 'stop' and ran after them,” remembers the 37-year-old. During this attempt to escape, the defendant's cell phone fell out of his pocket and the 37-year-old pursuer took it. Meanwhile, another employee became aware of the scene and ran after the two.
Probation after attack on supermarket employee
The man fled towards Petersberger Straße, but stumbled at an intersection. When the two employees reached him, he is said to have pulled out pepper spray and sprayed it in both of their faces. The 37-year-old was particularly injured in his mouth and eyes. His colleague at the time barely got any of the irritant. The two then made their way back to the Rewe store.
But a short time later, the defendant also showed up at the supermarket. He looked for his cell phone. The 37-year-old employee then told him that he would only get his cell phone back if he waited for the police at the supermarket, which he did. “It wasn’t normal; without the cell phone he would have been gone,” said the 37-year-old.
The 32-year-old defendant did not want to answer questions about the crime, but told his lawyer, Marc-Thilo Müller, that at the time of the crime he was under the influence of pills that he claimed to have obtained on the black market. These tablets made him aggressive, but he has now gotten away from it. Exactly which medication he had taken could not be conclusively clarified due to the language barrier. The defendant only ever spoke of Roche, a manufacturer of pharmaceuticals and globules.
The second crime had already occurred in May 2024. The defendant and his friend were caught trying to break into an apartment in Fulda in the early hours of the morning with secateurs and a one-hand knife – looking for money or drugs. The police officers who were called to the scene reported that the accomplice tried to open a door while the defendant stood by impassively. The latter remained calm, but the other perpetrator became aggressive towards the police officers and did not understand why the officers were there. The man who lived in the apartment only opened the door briefly, looked out and then went back to sleep. He was called to appear in court as a witness but did not appear.
Was the defendant under the influence of pills?
During this crime, too, the defendant said, he was under the influence of pills. He suspected there were more pills in the apartment to satisfy his addiction. Ultimately, after lengthy consultations with Judge Dr. Szymon Mazur and defense attorney Müller to stop the proceedings in this case.
However, the jury led by Judge Mazur passed a verdict for the robbery in the Rewe and the physical assault on the two employees: the defendant can expect a suspended sentence of one year and ten months.
In addition to the suspended sentence, the 32-year-old must perform 70 hours of community service and report regularly to a probation officer. The verdict is not yet final.
