Brutal trio

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(Bild: Chantal Dorn, Krone KREATIV)

On Tuesday, three defendants from the Unterland region received partial prison sentences at Feldkirch Regional Court. They had robbed a 31-year-old man in his apartment in May last year. 

The faces of the three defendants were pale as the presiding judge of the jury senate announced the verdict. A guilty verdict on the charge of aggravated robbery, burglary and theft of non-cash means of payment. The 24-year-old first defendant was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment, of which he had to serve seven. The 22-year-old second defendant must serve six of the 18 months behind Swedish bars. The 23-year-old third defendant gets off with a partial prison sentence of 24 months. He will spend eight months in prison.

The court considered it proven that the trio had visited a 31-year-old victim in his apartment in Dornbirn last year, beaten him up and robbed him.

The starting point was a boozy evening in a bar in Bregenz. The Dornbirn man was also there, but he left the merry party and drove home. The three defendants turned up there late at night - allegedly to have another beer.

Bottle pulled over skull
Finally, one of the accused hit the victim over the head with a vodka bottle. Another steals 500 euros, the ATM card and the keys to the apartment. While the victim is taken to hospital with a bleeding head wound, the perpetrators return to his apartment and steal watches worth 2,300 euros.

At the trial, the defendants plead guilty only in part, claiming to have acted in self-defense. But the judge doesn't believe a word the liars say. He awards the victim partial damages of 1300 euros.