- Deadly shooting of neighbors - Judgment awaited in court
In the trial against a man accused of murder of his neighbor, the verdict is expected to be announced on Monday (1:30 PM) at the Regional Court of Stuttgart. He is alleged to have killed the 45-year-old neighbor using a double-barreled shotgun.
Initially, it was unclear whether the defendant was criminally responsible. Among other things, a paranoid schizophrenia was examined. However, an expert concluded that the defendant, who was 42 years old at the time of the crime, was not criminally responsible, as announced by the court. However, it remains uncertain how the decision will be made on Monday. A reduced criminal responsibility is also possible.
While the prosecution and the co-plaintiff requested a conviction for murder, the defense requested a conviction for manslaughter. The prosecution requested a prison sentence of 12 years, the co-plaintiff requested a life sentence, and the defense requested a maximum of 9 years. All parties also requested placement in a psychiatric hospital.
This is how the crime is said to have occurred
On the day of the crime, the later victim allegedly knocked over the defendant's motorcycle, causing the defendant to injure his head and hand, according to the prosecution. "Out of anger and annoyance, especially because of the damage to his motorcycle, but also to prevent further disputes with the injured party once and for all, the defendant decided to kill the injured party," said the prosecutor.
The defendant wrapped his double-barreled shotgun in trash bags and went to the balcony of the neighbor's ground floor apartment, knocking on the railing, as the prosecutor continued to read. When his neighbor entered the balcony, the man fired and fatally injured his victim.
The defense argued for the defendant's conviction at the Court of FirstInstance for manslaughter instead of murder. After an initial uncertainty about the defendant's criminal responsibility due to paranoid schizophrenia, the Court of First Instance announced that the defendant was not criminally responsible for the murder.
