Verdict - Pursuit of luxury: Drach sentenced to 15 years in prison
The judge has just officially closed the hearing when the defendant takes the floor again: "I would like to lodge an appeal now," Thomas Drach shouts. But Judge Jörg Michael Bern replies curtly: "I won't accept that." This would have to be done in writing at the court registry. Judicial officers then lead Drach out of the courtroom of the Cologne district court, where he has spent 100 trial days.
In his "last word" that morning, the Reemtsma kidnapper claimed a "crystal-clear acquittal" for himself. He had nothing to do with the accused money transporter robberies. However, the verdict handed down by the 21st Grand Criminal Chamber on Thursday was fully in line with the prosecution's request: a 15-year prison sentence followed by preventive detention. It is therefore questionable whether the 63-year-old will ever be released in his lifetime.
The chamber convicted Drach of aggravated robbery and attempted murder, among other things. The court is convinced that he robbed three cash-in-transit vans in Cologne and Frankfurt am Main in 2018 and 2019, stealing a total of around 142,000 euros. In two of the crimes, he shot at the cash carriers - in one case with a Kalashnikov - and seriously injured the two men. "In achieving his goal of obtaining money as quickly as possible, he was completely indifferent to the welfare of the victims," says Bern.
In its judgment, the court relied on a large amount of evidence which, taken together, provided "a conclusive overall picture". According to the expert opinion, video recordings of the crimes showed that the masked perpetrator was most likely Drach. All of the escape vehicles used were linked to Drach, and his DNA was found on one of the cars. A former fellow inmate had testified as a witness that Drach had told him about the crimes. Only a robbery in Limburg, Hesse, which was also charged, could not be proven according to Bern.
The verdict marked the end of a mammoth trial lasting almost two years, which took place under heavy security precautions and caused immense costs. Police officers cordoned off the streets around the court building on every day of the trial. Drach was usually flown over by helicopter from Cologne prison.
In the search for an appropriate sentence, the chamber was practically unable to find anything in Drach's favor, says Bern: "We tried hard, but we hardly found anything." On the other hand, there was much to weigh against the defendant, such as the dangerous nature of the crimes and his lack of empathy for the victims. Drach's numerous previous convictions - he had spent a total of 25 years in prison - had made no impression on him.
Drach, who came from a middle-class home in Erftstadt near Cologne, was sentenced to fourteen and a half years in prison for the kidnapping of Jan Philipp Reemtsma alone. In 1996, he had kidnapped the heir to the Hamburg tobacco dynasty Reemtsma and released him after 33 days - for a ransom of 15 million German marks and 12.5 million Swiss francs.
As Drach poses a danger to the general public, the German is to be placed in preventive detention after serving his current prison sentence. "He has an ingrained pattern of delinquency," says Bern. Drach's primary goal has always been to lead "a life of luxury" - but without having to make any effort to do so.
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- Thomas Drach, originally from Erftstadt near Cologne, was sentenced to serve time in a North Rhine-Westphalia prison for his involvement in numerous cash-in-transit van robberies in Cologne and Frankfurt am Main.
- During the trial, the public prosecutor's office presented substantial evidence, including video recordings and eyewitness testimonies, which linked Drach to the crimes and resulted in a 15-year prison sentence with preventive detention.
- The court in Cologne found Drach guilty of aggravated robbery, attempted murder, and other charges, concluding that he was indifferent to the welfare of the victims and sought to achieve his goals with reckless disregard for the law.
- The decision marked the end of a two-year trial in which Drach, who served a 14.5-year sentence for kidnapping Jan Philipp Reemtsma in 1996, was often flown to court by helicopter from his prison in Cologne.
- The process was highly secured, with police cordons surrounding the court building on each trial day, and the substantial costs associated with the case contributed to public discussion about the necessity of such trials and their impact on the legal system.
- In Germany, Thomas Drach's criminal history and extensive prison terms have raised concerns about his potential to reoffend and his desire for a luxurious lifestyle, which motivated many of his illegal activities.
Source: www.stern.de
