Knelt on neck

Girlfriend killed: Life imprisonment for Carinthian man

The defendant in the courtroom(Bild: APA/KARIN ZEHETLEITNER)

A 31-year-old Carinthian man was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder for killing his girlfriend in March last year at the Graz Regional Criminal Court on Friday. He had knelt on her neck during an argument and suffocated her. Prior to this, the accused had allegedly abused the woman for two days.

The accused and the victim met in 2019 during inpatient alcohol withdrawal at the clinic and moved in together. Both were soon drinking again, and the apartment they shared in Raaba near Graz was "in a desolate state", according to public prosecutor Stefan Engelbert.

In the last three days before the crime, there were several violent arguments. The roofer hit the woman, she had numerous hematomas. Once he beat her up with a folding rule.

On March 11, another argument escalated and she allegedly threw a bottle at him. "I wanted her to stop," the defendant stated. He punched her and knelt on top of the woman. "I thought I was going to push her down by the chest, but it was the neck," the man described.

The victim had no alcohol in her blood and no food remains were found: "Was she already too badly injured to eat or drink anything?" asked Judge Catherine Farmer. The Carinthian was unable to answer that. His memories of the crime were rather vague, even though what had happened would not let him go.

"One to two bottles of vodka" every evening
The accused talked about his excessive alcohol consumption, he spoke of "one to two bottles of vodka" every evening, when he was working it was "a doppler of wine and a pint of beer" in the evening. The argument also came about because he was "in over his head". "Separation was never an issue?" asked the judge. "No, we really loved each other," replied the defendant.

She had hematomas, abrasions and massive injuries from head to toe.

Gerichtsmedizinerin Isabella Klasnic

Forensic pathologist Isabella Klasnic used photos to show the victim's countless injuries. "She had hematomas, abrasions, massive injuries from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet." The psychiatric expert Manfred Walzl stated that the accused was "moderately intoxicated". His sanity was diminished, but still present. The 31-year-old was not found to have any serious mental illnesses.

The jury found the defendant guilty of murder and intentional grievous bodily harm. The 31-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment. The verdict is not final.