Stabbed because of noise: Defendant acquitted
The Dessau-Roßlau district court has acquitted a 53-year-old man who seriously injured his neighbor in Zerbst with a knife. Although the court considered it proven that the accused had inflicted "potentially life-threatening stab wounds and cuts" on a neighbor in March of this year, a court spokeswoman announced on Tuesday. After the neighbor put up considerable resistance, however, the defendant let go of him.
The man was charged with dangerous bodily harm and attempted manslaughter. The court had also found that the offence of grievous bodily harm had been committed, but he had nevertheless been acquitted. According to a psychiatric report, it could not be ruled out that the man's "ability to control" had been impaired at the time of the crime due to a disturbance of consciousness. On the one hand, there had been a real "noise war" between the neighbors of the apartment building, and on the other hand, the defendant was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The court also refused to commit him to a psychiatric ward.
In March of this year, the defendant had seriously injured a neighbor living above him with a knife after an argument about music that was too loud. The verdict is not yet final.
The acquittal was based on the defendant's impaired ability to control due to post-traumatic stress disorder, despite committing grievous bodily harm. However, the court emphasized the importance of justice and made a judgement that considered both the circumstances of the noise war and the defendant's mental state.
Source: www.dpa.com
