360,000 euros demanded

Blackmailer threatens: “I’ll slaughter your family!”

The 40-year-old father stood trial in St. Pölten on Wednesday for blackmail and making dangerous threats. The victim was supposed to hand over 360,000 euros to the "bill collector".(Bild: Petra Weichhart, Krone KREATIV)

German blackmailer threatened Mostviertler to kidnap and mutilate his loved ones. The man backed up his demand for money with this. He stood trial in St. Pölten.

A secret money transfer, dubious business partners, a car full of sinister characters, threatening visits and missing money. These are not the ingredients for the next best-selling crime novel, but the martyrdom that a man from the Mostviertel region had to experience first-hand. The 70-year-old was involved in the story as a "financial stooge" - he acted as a money messenger. This has now ended with a trial for serious blackmail and threatened kidnapping of family members at the regional court in St. Pölten.

The perpetrator - a 40-year-old German - had threatened the pensioner several times in the spring to mutilate his loved ones if the 70-year-old did not hand over 360,000 euros. The money that has disappeared since the transfer. If not, Chechens would come with weapons. "I'll get your family and slaughter them," was the German's clear message.

The verdict is not yet final
The two met several times. At first only at a petrol station, then the 40-year-old even "visited" the pensioner at home. The threats were made in front of his wife. With fatal consequences: The woman has since been in therapy for anxiety.

"It was in bad taste, I know. I wanted to intimidate him," the accused confessed. He has now been sentenced to 18 months conditional imprisonment - the sentence is not yet final.