- Back in court for murder - trial interrupted
The second trial for the murder of a woman at Verden Regional Court was briefly interrupted shortly after it began. The trial will resume on Tuesday, the presiding judge said. The defense had previously criticized the lack of time for preparation and technical issues. The prosecution accuses the defendant of stabbing his ex-partner to death with 20 knife wounds.
According to the prosecution, the defendant lay in wait for his former partner outside her apartment in Bad Fallingbostel (Heidekreis) in August 2022. He is said to have attached a 14-centimeter-long knife blade to his hand with duct tape. When his ex-partner returned with their child from a meeting with her new boyfriend, the Bulgarian allegedly stabbed her. The woman reportedly suffered 20 stab wounds and died instantly.
In a first trial, the Verden Regional Court convicted the defendant of manslaughter and sentenced him to ten years and six months in prison. However, the Federal Court of Justice overturned this verdict in the spring following an appeal by the victim's family, as the evidence for the murder element of premeditation had not been properly considered. The case must now be retried - and the defendant could now be convicted of murder. A verdict could be expected by the end of September.
The initial trial for the defendant's alleged murder was handled by the Verden Regional Court, which eventually convicted him of manslaughter. Due to an appeal by the victim's family, the conviction was overturned by the Federal Court of Justice, and now, the Court of First Instance will reconvene for the retrial of the case.
