From the courtroom

Bosnian man (29) threatened ex with plastic pistol

Tearful appearance: The defendant described the motives for his crime very emotionally.(Bild: Chantall Dorn)

Was it desperation or stupidity that drove the accused to this short-circuiting act? The question was clarified on Wednesday at the regional court in Feldkirch.

The leasing worker, who lives in Vorarlberg, is accused of making a dangerous threat to his former partner, with whom he has a two-year-old son. This is not the Bosnian's only child. But the man has no contact at all with the four-year-old from his first marriage.

The fact that his second relationship was also about to end was all the more painful for him at the time. He drowned his sorrows more and more in alcohol. Finally, in mid-April, the situation came to a head. In a WhatsApp message, the Bosnian threatens his ex: "I'll be with you within fifteen minutes and kill you and the little one." He backs up the threat with a photo of him holding a gun and biting it.

The victim does not know at the time that it is a plastic toy gun. The shock and fear therefore run deep. The woman presses charges.

The Bosnian man pleads guilty at the trial. He tearfully describes his motives for the crime: "I wanted to see my son. She told me that the little boy would love another man more than me. That hurt me so much." He also had to deal with other strokes of fate, such as the death of his mother and a personal bankruptcy. Even the public prosecutor showed a heart at these words. "It'll be okay," she said to the man. After his ex-partner promised him during the trial that she would be allowed to see his son at any time, the defendant's heart finally broke.

Before prosecutor Sarah Nenning demands a guilty verdict in line with the indictment, she speaks to the Bosnian's conscience once again: "Try to imagine how the victim must have felt when she read this message. You both have a responsibility towards your child. You must not forget that." Judge Philipp Plattner sentenced the 29-year-old to a partial fine of 2520 euros. Half of this on probation. He refrains from revoking an earlier conditional fine. Instead, the probation period is extended to five years. The sentence is already legally binding.