Drunk & aggressive

Carnival ball with legal consequences

The defendant went on the rampage twice.

(Bild: Chantal Dorn, Krone KREATIV)

A drunk man had beaten up a ballgoer in Hohenems. He then attracted negative attention a second time at the train station.

It was Sunday, February 4, when the accused turned up drunk at the festival hall in Hohenems. Although the 20-year-old knows that consuming alcohol makes him "a different person", he downs a few more drinks. And so it doesn't take long before the drunkard starts to get rowdy and punches a young carnival-goer several times in the head. Unbelievable: when the victim is already lying on the ground, the aggressive man kicks him several more times. A guest who rushes to help also gets a beating.

Another incident
The thug is then arrested by the police and released shortly afterwards. But instead of keeping calm from then on, there was another incident at Hohenems railroad station. There, the unemployed man simply punched a young man twice in the face and threatened two security guards with reprisals. A rapid breathalyzer test gives a reading of 1.8 per mille.

"You know they get aggressive when they drink. Then just leave it alone," recommended public prosecutor Claudia Buss-Gerstgrasser to the accused.

(Bild: Chantal Dorn)

During the trial, the man with a previous conviction pleaded guilty to the charges and added: "I was lucky that the victims weren't seriously injured." Judge Sabrina Tagwercher reassures him once again: "You have to be careful that you don't turn the corner."

The judge sentences the 20-year-old to a conditional prison sentence of months and an unconditional fine of 1,440 euros. A fine from another conviction, originally suspended on probation, was revoked by Ms. Rat and a further 240 euros were added.