Trial in Feldkirch

United in enmity

Despite a relevant previous conviction, a man from Unterland once again wrote threatening emails to his former landlady. He had to answer for this at the Feldkirch regional court on Friday.

In October, the 48-year-old defendant was sentenced to a partial fine of 5,400 euros for dangerous threats and coercion. At the trial, the man stated that he was unhappy with the housing situation.

Threats by email
He then threatened the landlady in several emails: first with legal action, then with withholding one month's rent and finally with a "profound vendetta". Whereupon the 53-year-old filed a complaint and threw the unpleasant contemporary out of the apartment.

I was standing on the street, pretty upset because the landlady didn't tell me what was going to happen with the bill and the deposit. I just had the feeling that I wouldn't hear from her again.

Der Angeklagte vor Gericht

Five months and more emails later, the now ex-tenant is back in the dock. "What were you thinking?" the public prosecutor wants to know from the delinquent. To which he replies, visibly irritated: "I was out on the street, I was pretty upset because the landlady didn't tell me what was going to happen with the bill and the deposit. I just had the feeling that I wouldn't hear from her again."

Damaged apartment
Instead, he only received an email from the lawyer. Whereupon the landlady, who was called as a witness, clarified: "Even without the emails from the defendant, I wouldn't have paid back the deposit. Because the apartment was fully furnished and also damaged."

The ex-tenant apologized for his behaviour and was prepared to pay the woman 500 euros for the inconvenience she had suffered. However, the defendant gasped when Judge Alexander Wehinger found him guilty of coercion and sentenced him to an unconditional fine of 10,800 euros, plus 1,800 euros from the revocation of the partially conditional sentence from October.

The only ray of hope for the Unterländer, who has not yet been finally sentenced, is that he can pay off the fine in installments.