Dispute over dog "Cheko"

Four shots fired after argument over dog “Cheko”

The 26-year-old took in his friend's Cane Corso. This led to a fight.

(Bild: Gerhard Bartel, Krone KREATIV)

The two were once really good friends - until one took in the other's dog because he had to go to prison. A dispute over the Cane Corso "Cheko" and an illegal cell phone in custody ended with four shots to the legs. The 24-year-old shooter's defense lawyer: "It was pure self-defense." The sentence was handed down on Friday evening: one and a half years in prison!

"It is fortunate that we are not dealing with a completed murder here today, but with attempted murder," the public prosecutor in Vienna began. On June 13, 2023, a 24-year-old shot his former good friend four times with a pistol - hitting him in the calf and both thighs. "Because that's where the large blood vessels are, you can talk about huge luck," said the prosecutor.

The defendant took in the Cane Corso "Cheko" (symbolic image).

(Bild: deviddo - stock.adobe.com)

Dog of the gunshot victim taken in
But how did two good friends, who even lived together, end up facing each other as victim and defendant? In 2020, the man who was shot was sentenced to prison and was in custody until a month before the crime. His dog "Cheko" was taken away from the 28-year-old when he was arrested and sent to an animal shelter. "My client loved this dog so much that he paid for the vet bill. The dog was seriously injured when he was taken away. My client took him in," explained the 24-year-old's defense lawyer, Mirsad Musliu.

Dispute over "Cheko" ends with four shots
Because the man, who was two years older, felt that the defendant had taken his dog - a Cane Corso - away from him while he was in prison and because he suspected him of having informed the authorities about an illegal cell phone in the cell, the friendship broke down. The inmate had even written threatening messages to the 24-year-old, saying he wanted to finish him off.

Is this man a murderer or was he defending himself out of fear?

Verteidiger Mirsad Musliu spricht von Notwehr

The serious incident finally occurred during a discussion after his release. However, according to lawyer Musliu, it could in no way be considered attempted murder: "The shot was fired in pure self-defense. Because there was an attack." A video of the accused crime clearly shows that the 28-year-old repeatedly approached the younger man and finally took something out of his trouser pocket - despite firing a warning shot towards the ground.

"If I had wanted to kill him, I would have shot him in the chest"
The defendant himself counters the murder charge: "If I had wanted to kill him, I would have shot him in the chest." It is also certain that the 26-year-old possessed the pistol illegally, which is why the public prosecutor's office is also accusing him of violating the Weapons Act. Almost a trifle compared to the threat of life imprisonment for attempted murder.

Defense lawyer Mirsad Musliu achieves a success for his client.

(Bild: zVg, Krone KREATIV)

Addressing the jury, defense attorney Mirsad Musliu asked the question: "Is this man a murderer or did he defend himself out of fear?" And after a long deliberation into the late hours of the evening, the jury confirmed the latter: the guilty verdict was for grossly negligent bodily harm and violation of the Weapons Act. And reaps cheers from the rows of spectators, who are still filled with relatives of the young man even this late in the evening.

Reunion with "Cheko" ruled out
With a sentence of two years, the jury court considers 18 months unconditional imprisonment to be appropriate. Defense lawyer Mirsad Musliu accepts the sentence with satisfaction on behalf of his client - just like the public prosecutor. However, the 26-year-old will no longer see the dog that was so hotly contested; while he was in custody, 12-year-old "Cheko" died ...