From the courtroom

Unterländer (58) has already received his 25th previous sentence

Unterländer intends to appeal against the sentence.(Bild: Chantall Dorn)

There was no cake for the anniversary, but another prison sentence. 

A 58-year-old man from the Bregenz area was sentenced again on Monday at Feldkirch Regional Court for stealing a bicycle.

"I really can't think of a single reason for mitigation. Your whole life consists of nothing but prison sentences," said Judge Philipp Plattner, shaking his head. This time, the native of Inner Austria is accused of stealing a bicycle from the AMS in Bregenz at the beginning of April. An employee had parked her e-bike there. When she wanted to cycle home in the evening, the bike had disappeared.

Victim reacted with lightning speed
The fact that the bike was found and the thief convicted is thanks to the victim's quick reaction. "At some point, I saw a man cycling past me on my bike," reports the witness. Shortly afterwards, she found the stolen goods "abandoned". During the trial, the woman could not say for sure whether the accused was the thief. However, the man had gray hair and was "a little corpulent". 

On the other hand, the 58-year-old's flimsy excuses did not convince either the judge or public prosecutor Richard Gschwenter, who remarked: "With respect, they are not blonde and thin either. What's more, their DNA was recovered from the handlebars and bike lock."

The non-final sentence: twenty months in prison and a further three months because he had committed the offense during his probationary period.