- The second instalment of a homicide trial ensues following an alleged heroin heist.
Following an alleged drug heist and heroin theft, two suspects find themselves back in court at the Giessen Regional Court. The two individuals, aged 41 and 46, are being charged for allegedly robbing two drug peddlers at the end of February 2022 in search of heroin.
The case against a third suspect, who was reportedly waiting in a car for the two main suspects during the crime, was dismissed when they failed to show up for the trial despite being summoned.
The two suspects, who were reportedly heroin addicts at the time of the crime and hail from Georgia, are said to have planned the robbery, according to the prosecutor's office. They are accused of tying up and gagging the two victims, then attacking them with blows and kicks.
A 56-year-old man succumbed to his injuries at the scene, attempting to defend himself with a rubber hammer. The other man passed away a few months later due to unknown causes.
The attorney for the older suspect read out a statement from his client. In it, the man claimed that on the day of the incident, February 28, 2022, he had intended to purchase heroin from the 56-year-old. Due to withdrawal symptoms, he felt unwell. The younger of the two men in the apartment refused to let him in, claiming that the 56-year-old was asleep and there were no drugs available. Eventually, he forced open the door. When the 56-year-old attempted to strike him with a rubber hammer, he retaliated.
The second suspect was also present in the apartment, leading to a scuffle. When someone knocked on the door, he panicked and fled over the balcony, according to the 46-year-old. His sole intention was to obtain heroin from the 56-year-old, having done so on previous occasions. He was not expecting the situation to escalate and the man's death.
The second suspect claimed that he entered the apartment once the altercation had begun. He saw one of the two men lying in the bathroom, while the 46-year-old and the elder of the two drug dealers were engaged in a physical fight and verbal dispute. The 56-year-old was yelling loudly.
Upon hearing a knock on the door, he noticed drugs on the table and advised his accomplice to leave. They both then exited the apartment via the balcony. They later visited the third suspect's apartment, leading to an altercation. "That shouldn't have happened," claimed the 41-year-old. "My intention was not to cause anyone's death or harm. It was a shock to learn that someone had passed away."
The suspects are facing charges for joint homicide, along with armed robbery resulting in death and violation of the Narcotics Act, as well as causing intentional grievous bodily harm. The prosecutor's office is also accusing them of homicide for financial gain.
In a previous trial, the Giessen Regional Court imposed life imprisonment on the two suspects for homicide and armed robbery resulting in death. However, the Federal Court of Justice overturned this decision, deeming the intent to kill insufficiently justified.
The trial is set to resume on Tuesday with the examination of witnesses, including police officers and residents of the house.
After an appeal, the case of the absent third suspect is now being handled at the ['The Court of First Instance'], as they haven't yet presented themselves for the original trial. Despite the allegations against them, the two main suspects continue to claim their innocence in front of ['The Court of First Instance'], asserting that they had no intention to cause harm or death during the drug-related incident.
