ruth901
The accusation sounded explosive: robbery and grievous bodily harm. A couple from the old Schlüchtern district had to answer for this in the dock before the Gelnhausen lay judges' court.
Altkreis Schlüchtern – It was about an incident that is said to have happened almost three and a half years ago in a small village in the Bergwinkel. That afternoon, the 38-year-old father is said to have been driving with his wife in the car on the outskirts of town. When they saw a 43-year-old friend on a meadow, they drove their car there to resolve a disagreement over an outstanding payment.
Couple in court for robbery – dispute over 180 euros escalated?
The versions in court differed considerably about how the meeting there actually took place. The background: The woman had helped the 43-year-old organize an event in the past and put in several hours of work. She wanted to be paid 150 euros for this. Because the acquaintance had not handed it over despite repeated requests, an additional 30 euros “reminder fee” was added – a total of 180 euros. Because the “debtor” had not responded to multiple inquiries in the previous period, the woman said she was now “annoyed”.
When they met, the couple again asked him to pay the outstanding amount. However, the subsequent discussion then escalated. The defendant admitted that in this situation he pushed the man away because he approached his wife in a threatening manner. The couple denied further alleged attacks and the theft of items.
The 43-year-old's version is completely different. He claimed that the defendant forced him into his car and beat him. He later tried to drag him out of the car by his feet, but failed. At the same time as this happened, the woman is said to have stolen a brush cutter from the vehicle to clear brush and wood, his cell phone and a mobile charger with a power storage device (“power bank”). The stolen goods were worth around 1,300 euros.
Allegations cannot be substantiated – proceedings are discontinued
The 43-year-old explained that the couple's attack had caused him considerable distress. For help, he turned to other villagers who called an ambulance. He later went to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with various bruises.
According to him and his lawyer, who represented him as co-plaintiff, the psychological consequences of the incident are so significant that the 43-year-old could not be questioned directly in the courtroom at the current court hearing in the presence of the defendant. Specialists also feared “retraumatization” and a “flashback” in a direct encounter, they said in written statements. Therefore, the alleged victim was heard via video link in another room of the court.
Other residents of the village, some of whom had heard the facts, were also interviewed as witnesses. In the course of taking evidence, it became clear that the “stolen” items were later found near the 43-year-old's parents' house in the village. However, it was no longer clear who had put them there.
This meant that the accusation of robbery could not be sustained. The accusation of grievous bodily harm could not be proven either. Ultimately, the criminal proceedings against both defendants were dropped. However, because of the admitted push, the 38-year-old has to pay 300 euros to the animal protection association. (ls)
Meanwhile is also A domestic violence case was dropped because the wife did not want to testify in court and the man denied the allegations – the judge recommended a divorce.
