process - Breach, Escape and Car Arson - Almost five years imprisonment
In the process of a trial for a break-in with pursuit and a car set on fire, the Landgericht Mönchengladbach sentenced a man to four years and eight months in prison. The 34-year-old admitted in the trial that he and his acquaintance had broken into an empty house in Niederkrüchten in mid-February and stolen jewelry and the car in front of the door.
At the outset, the defendant testified that they had celebrated Carnival at the time. "When our money ran out, we spontaneously decided to break into that empty house," the man said. The homeowners, a young couple, were not at home during the incident. However, a neighbor saw the car drive away.
Car in flames after pursuit
After the police located the vehicle and attempted to stop it, the defendant, according to the judge, "rammed their vehicle intentionally." This led to a pursuit. The 34-year-old was able to shake off his pursuers. The stolen car later caught fire on a country road in Niederkrüchten. Ten days later, the man was caught drunk and without a driver's license behind the wheel of a small car.
According to his own testimony, the defendant was also drunk during the break-in and was instigated by his acquaintance. The latter allegedly set the car on fire "to cover tracks." Since the defendant could not refute this claim, he was acquitted of arson charges. "Although they had more reason to wipe their tracks from the driver's seat," the presiding judge noted.
Further burglary attempt on defendant's account
The repeatedly and seriously convicted defendant was charged with several offenses, including aggravated burglary, assault on police officers, reckless endangerment, and driving without a license. The court also attributed to him another burglary attempt in Niederkrüchten. There, he had lost a glove with his DNA traces.
The judge justified the sentence with the numerous prior convictions of the defendant and the fact that the crimes were committed during ongoing probation and a revision proceeding in Berlin, where a suspended sentence of two and a half years was pending. The suspended sentence has not yet become legally binding. The prosecution had demanded a prison term of four years, while the defendant's attorney argued for less than three years. Whether she will appeal the judgment remains open.
- The stolen car, an automatic model, was the primary evidence linked to the defendant's involvement in the break-in.
- During the pursuit, the defendant intentionally rammed his escape vehicle into the police vehicle, maintaining his freedom until the car caught fire on a country road in Niederkruchten.
- Following his arrest, the defendant was found drunk and without a valid driver's license behind the wheel of another car in Niederkruchten, adding to his list of charges.
- The court in Moenedgladbach considered the defendant's prior convictions, ongoing probation, and revision proceeding in Berlin as aggravating factors, ultimately sentencing him to four years and eight months in prison.
- Despite the defendant's attempt to cover his tracks by having his accomplice set the original escape vehicle on fire, DNA evidence from a lost glove at a subsequent burglary attempt in Niederkruchten further implicated him in the criminality.
