Porsche, BMW and Co.

Viennese gang of youths stole luxury cars to show off

One of the defendants drove a Porsche 911 into a wall.

(Bild: Porsche)

Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Porsche - it was the expensive and, above all, fast cars that a gang of young people from Vienna were after. They didn't steal the luxury cars to sell them, however; the boys simply boasted about the vehicles on social media. And used them as if they were their own - and are now sitting in court.

"The defendants have known each other for a long time, some of them from school. What they all have in common is that they are interested in cars, like to drive high-priced cars and are also technically adept in connection with cars," said the public prosecutor's office about the five car thieves in the dock at Vienna Regional Court. The rows of spectators in courtroom 1 are filled with relatives and friends of the 17 and 18-year-olds.

Luxury cars targeted
The gang of teenagers is said to have stolen a total of 15 cars - and their approach was always similar: they used second-hand car platforms to find out where particularly expensive cars were being sold and then struck it rich. Sometimes they also made "lucky grabs", where the key was already in the center console of the luxury car.

We stole them to pretend they were our cars.

18-jähriger Erstangeklagter

The mastermind of the whole operation: an 18-year-old Viennese, who made a life confession in the trial, defended by lawyer Lukas Hruby. "We stole them to pretend they were our cars," he admits. One by one, the presiding judge presents him with car after car; he confirms each one. Only in the case of a Skoda RS, which the gang is said to have stolen at the end of January, does he intervene: "They would never have targeted a vehicle like that, it was too cheap ...

My client's behavior has shown that he is not a serious criminal, but a young car enthusiast.

Verteidiger Lukas Hruby über den 18-Jährigen

Bild: Martin Jöchl

Five cars in two nights
At the end of February, the boys even broke into five luxury cars in just two nights and fitted false number plates. Mrs. Rat wants to know how many of them they had - "Too many. I can't say anymore," confesses the 18-year-old. They also regularly filled up the tank without paying. One of the defendants also drove a Porsche 911 into a wall - a total loss! 

Some of the other defendants also confessed to the facts. But that's not all there is to the indictment: it also includes aggravated robbery, various acts of damage to property and a wild chase with the police on the A1. The trial is adjourned!