- The stabbing trial continues after plea bargain
Following the closing arguments in the trial involving a fatal stabbing of a teenager in Hamburg-Billstedt, the court continues to deliberate. The trial chamber at the regional court had not rendered a verdict on Wednesday but had reopened the evidentiary proceedings due to additional evidence requests by the defense, a court spokeswoman announced. Six new trial dates have been scheduled until the end of September.
Confession at the Trial's Opening
The 24-year-old defendant is accused of manslaughter. The man, who holds Italian citizenship, admitted to the fatal stabbing at the trial's opening. However, he also claimed that his 17-year-old counterpart had a knife. According to the indictment, the young Afghan wanted to pick up a 14-year-old friend from an apartment on January 25th this year, but the defendant prevented him from entering, leading to the altercation.**
Incident Recorded by a Video Camera
The 17-year-old later left the house with several others. On the courtyard of the apartment building, the defendant allegedly stabbed the teenager without warning, causing life-threatening injuries. The victim tried to flee but stumbled. The defendant is said to have kicked the teenager while he was on the ground and stabbed him again.**
The 17-year-old died a few hours later in the hospital. The entire incident was reportedly recorded by a video camera, according to the defendant's lawyer.
Prosecutor and Defense Seek Prison Sentence
Last week, the prosecution demanded a ten-year prison sentence for the 24-year-old. The defense called for a prison sentence of less than ten years. The defense attorney argued for a single-digit, mid-range prison sentence, the court spokeswoman said.**
The defense sought additional evidence from The Court of Justice to strengthen their argument, leading to the reopening of the evidentiary proceedings. After deliberating for several days, a verdict from The Court of Justice in the aforementioned trial is expected to be announced soon.
