Hostile Viennese

Hedge poisoned: “I just wanted to annoy him!”

A 70-year-old Viennese man poisoned his adversary's hedge of thujas with road salt.(Bild: stock.adobe.com Krone KREATIV,)

After a legal dispute over who was at fault in a traffic accident, two Viennese pensioners became enemies. That's why four thujas had to die. The encounter in criminal court will probably not be the last between the two squabblers.

A hedge of thujas, salt and two hostile pensioners. On Thursday, Mathias Funk played the role of mediator rather than judge in the Vienna Regional Court. Mr. S. and Mr. D. have a common history: the two men were involved in a traffic accident - one on a scooter, the other on a motorcycle. Both denied fault, a civil judge had to rule in April 2023 and found in favor of Mr S.

Civil judgment was not enough for the pensioner
But that was probably not enough for the 70-year-old. He threw road salt into the thujas of the two-year-old several times. "The trees were boiling away," Mr. D. complained on the witness stand. Bit by bit, part of his hedge died off.

I just don't think it's fair to treat someone like that. I just wanted to annoy him.

Angeklagter (70) im Wiener Landesgericht

"Why do you have such a grudge against the man when you won the legal dispute?" Judge Funk asked - "I just don't think it's fair to deal with someone like that. I just wanted to annoy him," admits the defendant, who is accused of serious damage to property.

Probably not the last meeting in court
In the end, four trees were actually found to have been damaged. Mr. S. is prepared to pay 752 euros for this. To the displeasure of the 68-year-old, he wants his entire hedge replaced - that would be 30 trees that would have to be dug up and new ones dug in again.

However, the judge is satisfied with this as compensation, classifies the matter as simple damage to property and offers Mr. S. a diversion - he gratefully accepts. However, the two pensioners will probably meet again in civil proceedings concerning the thujas ...