Trial in Innsbruck

Taxi driver sprayed dry shampoo in eyes during robbery

The defendant had to take her seat in front of Judge Andrea Wegscheider.(Bild: Markus Stegmayr, Krone KREATIV)

In April last year, a 29-year-old woman got into a cab in Innsbruck at night without any money in her pocket. When it was time to pay, she sprayed dry shampoo twice into the cab driver's eyes. She was found guilty of this at Innsbruck Regional Court on Wednesday.

"I don't remember what really happened that night", the defendant stated several times during the trial, but admitted that she "probably used" the dry shampoo. Before this "mission", she and her friend had spontaneously decided to take a cab. "I don't know why we did that," said the woman. In any case, she had "suffered from withdrawal symptoms" that night and eventually had a "complete blackout", especially as she was addicted to cocaine and opiates, among other things. All in all, it was probably "a short-circuit act", she emphasized.

Defendant wanted "money for drugs"
 During the trial, she clearly relativized her intention to rob, which she had admitted to the police when questioned after the crime. "I have no idea what I really wanted", she explained to Judge Andrea Wegscheider and the panel of lay judges. This sounded very different during the hearing. At that time, the woman had emphasized that she wanted to assault and rob the cab driver "for money for drugs".

Attempted robbery was a "spontaneous act"
 The public prosecutor and the judge ultimately agreed with this assumption. "It was not a planned act, but a spontaneous action, but nevertheless robbery, coercion and fraud," the public prosecutor emphasized. Wegscheider also made a similar argument: "Just because the damage was insignificant does not make the case null and void."

Conditional prison sentence and unconditional fine
Together with the panel of lay judges, Wegscheider decided after a short deliberation to impose a conditional prison sentence of nine months and an unconditional fine of 720 euros. The woman must also pay the 17.90 euros for the unpaid cab ride in April. The verdict is already final.