Process - Thomas Drach sentenced to 15 years in prison
The Cologne Regional Court has sentenced Thomas Drach to 15 years' imprisonment for robbery and attempted murder. The court also sentenced the Reemtsma kidnapper to preventive detention. This means that after serving his sentence, Drach will be transferred to a secure detention center where he will remain behind bars. With its verdict, the court complied with the prosecution's request.
The court considered it proven that Drach committed three robberies of cash-in-transit vehicles in Cologne and Frankfurt am Main in 2018 and 2019. According to the verdict, he fired shots at the cash carriers in two of the robberies and the two men suffered serious injuries. A robbery in Limburg, Hesse, which was also charged, could not be proven against Drach.
Drach denies all accusations
Drach had always denied all accusations and his defense lawyers had asked for his acquittal. The verdict on the 100th day of the trial marked the end of an almost two-year mammoth trial, which took place under high security precautions.
In 1996, the German had kidnapped Jan Philipp Reemtsma, heir to the Hamburg tobacco dynasty Reemtsma, and released him for ransom. Drach was sentenced to fourteen and a half years in prison for the crime.
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- Despite his previous conviction for kidnapping Jan Philipp Reemtsma in Hamburg, Thomas Drach was recently sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Cologne Regional Court for robbery and attempted murder.
- The Regional Court in North Rhine-Westphalia found Drach guilty of three robberies in Cologne and Frankfurt am Main, with two resulting in serious injuries to cash carriers due to shots fired.
- In one robbery in Limburg, Hesse, the charges could not be proven against Drach, leading to a partial acquittal.
- Drach continually denied all accusations against him, with his defense lawyers requesting an acquittal.
- The Reemtsma hijacker, another notorious criminal, also faced preventive detention as a result of the ruling by the Regional Court in Hamburg.
- The lengthy trial, which lasted over two years, drew significant attention due to its high security measures, ultimately resulting in a guided verdict.
- Despite serving his time, Drach will be transferred to a secure detention center after completing his prison sentence, due to the nature of his crimes and potential threats to society.
Source: www.stern.de
