Beaten to death with a hammer

Life sentence for brutal murder of “surrogate grandmother”

The defendant is polite and attentive during the murder trial.(Bild: Anja Richter)

The mother of the 27-year-old was due to testify in the murder trial against her son. But the situation caused the woman to fall from her chair and she had to be taken to hospital by ambulance. The 81-year-old woman, whom the defendant had known since childhood, died in agony. In the trial finale on Tuesday evening, the Romanian was not finally sentenced to life imprisonment. 

When the mother had to take the witness stand in the murder trial against her son, she was pale. During the questioning, her condition worsened and she suddenly fell off her chair. She had to be taken to hospital by ambulance - circulatory collapse. For her, it is inconceivable that the 28-year-old should be responsible for the death of his surrogate grandmother, who lived in her mother's house.

Victim tried to hide in agony
Rudolf Mayer and Nikolaus Rast's client allegedly hit the 81-year-old woman 17 times with his locksmith's hammer on the night of February 10 in Baden near Vienna, causing the victim to die as a result of severe open craniocerebral trauma. With enormous brutality: "He crushed her skull," said the public prosecutor at the Wiener Neustadt Regional Court. In her death throes, the woman tried to hide in an alcove. But he allegedly pulled her out by the legs and continued to beat her severely.

Rudolf Mayer (top right) and Nikolaus Rast defend the Romanian.(Bild: Anja Richter)

After the crime, he washed his hands, cleaned the murder weapon and dried it with the dish towel. He then fled with a parked e-scooter. 

Prosecutor: "He is a legacy hunter"
The Romanian vehemently denies the crime: he loved the old woman. He has known the old lady since childhood and calls her his "surrogate grandma". According to the public prosecutor, he had hoped to be appointed as heir to her condominium. "Due to his disappointment at the lack of the hoped-for inheritance, he decided to kill Margit G. out of revenge," said the public prosecutor. And further: "He is an inheritance thief." The man's gambling addiction and upscale lifestyle are also topics in the trial.

The DNA report and the IT expert contradict the Romanian's account on the second day of the trial. Lawyer Rudolf Mayer argued: "The question of DNA transfer was not addressed in the expert opinion." His client and his mother had often been in the victim's home since childhood, especially as he grew up in the same house.

Unanimous verdict: life imprisonment
The jury reached a unanimous verdict on Tuesday evening: The Romanian is found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. The defendant's lawyers immediately lodged an appeal for annulment and an appeal. The verdict is therefore not final.