A trial for a 40-year-old man accused of attempting to murder three patrons at a Viennese pub in May is ongoing. The defendant allegedly attacked the men with a knife after a dispute, leaving one seriously injured. While he denies attempted murder, he admits to the assaults, citing intoxication and drug use that impaired his memory. The prosecution seeks a lengthy prison sentence, possibly life imprisonment, due to the severity of the attack and the defendant’s history of violent behavior.
The trial for a triple attempted murder case at a Viennese bar, which took place in May, resumed on Tuesday at the provincial criminal court. The defendant, a 40-year-old man, stands accused of attacking three patrons with a knife inside a pub located in Margareten. As per the charges, the individual allegedly seized a knife from the bar following an argument and proceeded to stab the victims. One of the injured men remains in a critical condition.
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The trial was paused at the end of August to allow for the testimony of a toxicology expert to determine whether the accused was intoxicated or mentally impaired during the incident. While maintaining a plea of not guilty to attempted murder, the defendant acknowledged his actions during the first day of the trial, recalling only fragmented memories of the night due to alcohol and drug consumption. He stated, ‘I don’t have a concrete memory’ as he opened his testimony.
Toxicology results revealed that he had a blood alcohol level of 0.93 per mille at the time of his arrest, indicating he might have been between 1.5 to 2 per mille during the attack, along with the presence of amphetamines and a cocaine metabolite in his system.
‘That’s when I lose control’
The accused confessed to resuming drug use about six to seven weeks prior to the incident after a period of abstinence. ‘And with Jägermeister, I lose control more easily,’ he admitted.
Due to a diagnosed personality disorder indicating a high likelihood of committing serious offenses in the future, the public prosecutor’s office has requested that the defendant be placed in a forensic therapeutic facility based on expert evaluation by Peter Hofmann.
Prior to the crime, the unemployed ex-waiter frequently visited the bar in Margareten. He reportedly spent the evening drinking, with the bar owner noting he had consumed seven beers, Jägermeister, a Bacardi-Cola, in addition to cocaine and amphetamines. Later that night, he lost his cell phone and approached a nearby party for assistance. This encounter likely escalated into a confrontation between him and a group of Serbian patrons at the bar.
Details surrounding how the accused obtained the knife from the bar remained unclear during the trial. He recalled having a vague memory of the argument and mentioned that he believed he had been attacked by a group of men. He experienced a blackout and regained consciousness outside the establishment, realizing he was covered in blood, having sustained injuries including a broken jaw and fractured eye socket; the source of these injuries was uncertain.
Severe prison sentence likely
Witness accounts varied; one of his friends claimed that a member of the Serbian group threatened the 40-year-old, leading to a skirmish where he acted only in self-defense. However, other patrons testified that he approached their table and stabbed one man in the neck from behind. Two Serbian men came to assist and were injured in the fray, joining the case as private parties.
According to the prosecution, the defendant inflicted eleven stab wounds on the men. One sustained life-threatening injuries and would have perished without immediate medical intervention, while the others suffered serious and minor injuries, respectively. Witnesses described the attack as deliberate, noting the initial stab was aimed, followed by a series of erratic thrusts.
The outcome of this case points toward a potential life sentence for the accused following the knife attack at the Viennese establishment.