Slander

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Salzburg courthouse, seat of the regional court(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

A man from Pinzgau (25) caused a traffic accident in the summer in which a motorcyclist was seriously injured. However, he told the police that his brother was the driver. Now, at the trial in the regional court, he confessed to the charges of negligent bodily harm and defamation.

A Pinzgauer (25) was driving a company van on the L271 in Fusch an der Großglocknerstraße in mid-July. When turning left into a junction, he overlooked a motorcyclist - a serious collision ensued due to the violation of priority. The biker crashed as a result of the impact and suffered a series of broken bones - a serious physical injury. When the police arrived at the scene of the accident and spoke to the driver, he stated that he had not been driving himself: it had been his brother. It soon emerged that the 25-year-old had made false statements in order to shift the blame. Probably because he had been drinking alcohol - but the alcohol test showed less than 0.5 per mille.

This is why the man from Pinzgau had to answer to the Salzburg provincial court on Friday not only for the charge of grossly negligent bodily harm, but also for defamation. During the trial, the accused made a comprehensive and remorseful confession. The court sentenced the 25-year-old to three months' probation for negligent bodily harm and defamation. He accepted the sentence, but it is not yet final.