Verdict after outburst

Death threat against social workers

A 55-year-old man has been sentenced to partial imprisonment at Feldkirch Provincial Court after a freak-out at the Institute for Social Services (ifs) in Vorarlberg.

The accused was led into room 123 at the Feldkirch provincial court in handcuffs on Wednesday. However, the 55-year-old, who has been in custody since the crime on April 29, did not make a "dangerous impression". The man is severely depressed, has to take psychotropic medication every day and has been unable to work for six years due to his illness. The blameless man is on trial for making a dangerous threat.

Defendant pleads guilty
The root of all evil lies in the fact that he lives separately from his wife and has no contact with his children. This is because the youth welfare office is involved. On that day in April, the accused has an appointment with the ifs in Dornbirn. Because the meeting did not go as he had hoped, the 55-year-old snapped: "I'm going to kill the child and youth welfare officer in Dornbirn and Bregenz. If I find her, I'll go to her home and cut her head off!" he threatens the two local employees. The man was then reported to the police.

My client was in a very bad state at the time. He had taken twelve tablets of psychotropic drugs.

Verteidigerin Ramsauer-Mitteregger

 "My client was in a very bad state at the time. He had taken twelve tablets of psychotropic drugs," said defense lawyer Lisa Maria Ramsauer-Mitteregger. Meanwhile, the defendant claims not to have known what he was doing. Nevertheless, he pleads guilty and acknowledges his misconduct.

However, the defense's wish for diversion is not fulfilled. Judge Theo Rümmele found the man guilty as charged and sentenced him to seven months in prison, five of which were suspended. As the mentally ill man has already been in custody for seven weeks, he can leave prison in a week. The sentence is final.