150,000 euros damage

Grave decorations sold for the price of a kilo: one year in prison

(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

No respect for the dead and their grieving relatives! A Hungarian man (40) stole around 140,000 euros in grave crosses, lanterns and flower vases from the St. Barbara cemetery in Linz. He had also stolen high-priced bicycles and sold them on the Internet. On Monday, he received a twelve-month prison sentence for this.

You can't take anything with you into the afterlife, but you are still not safe from theft and serious damage to property. In September 2022, a 40-year-old Hungarian stole grave decorations made of copper and other non-ferrous metals worth a staggering 140,000 euros from 33 graves at St. Barbara's Cemetery in Linz.

Not worth it
He sold the flower vases, crosses and grave pots to the scrap metal dealer at a price per kilo. The poor haul: only around 1000 to 1100 euros. "The craft is worth much more than the price of the metal - anyone who has ever dealt with tinsmiths knows that," admitted the defense lawyer. In addition to the emotional damage, numerous relatives also suffered a financial loss: one private party even wanted 36,000 euros for the damage to "his" grave, another 23,400 euros. Most claims for compensation were between 300 and 1500 euros.

Bicycles also stolen
He had made the journey from Hungary to Austria out of financial necessity because he had lost his job at a personnel leasing company the previous month. He had re-entered the country in April of the previous year and had stolen high-priced bicycles worth a further 11,000 euros in Austria, mainly in Styria, but also in Upper Austria, which he later sold for a fraction of their value on the internet. 

Additional 12 months in prison
Disturbing the peace of the dead, aggravated commercial burglary and serious damage to property: The 40-year-old, who has several previous convictions, confessed to all charges. He is currently serving a 20-month prison sentence in Wiener Neustadt and was therefore also sentenced to twelve months unconditional imprisonment in Linz. The sentence is final.