Extortion of protection money

Start of trial against Hells Angels giants in Vienna

The three accused rockers in the large jury courtroom in Vienna.

(Bild: Zwefo/Zwefo, Krone KREATIV)

Extortion of protection money, assault and revival of activity - the list of charges against the three members of the Hells Angels is long. However, they left their leather jackets and motorcycles at home for the start of the trial in Vienna's regional court. But not their temperament: the first accused German gives the presiding judge one snotty answer after another ...

With grim expressions, the three men take their seats in the dock in the large jury courtroom. They've left their motorcycles and their logo-emblazoned jackets at home for the trial. Only the tattoos from head to toe give a clue as to which group they belong to: Two of them are members of the Hells Angels, one says he is a "supporter".

"Either you pay or we'll be back!"
According to the Vienna public prosecutor's office, the three of them and nine other unknown members of the rocker group are said to have caused a disturbance in a pub in the district of Ried im Innkreis (Upper Austria) on September 17, 2023. They are said to have seriously injured the owner, the DJ and an uninvolved guest. "Either you pay or we'll be back", they verbalized a protection racket, according to the indictment.

But that is not the reason why the German and the two Upper Austrians are sitting before a jury in Vienna's regional court. They are also accused of re-activation under the Prohibition Act, the third defendant (31) of punching a member of the hostile motorcycle gang "Bandidos" and the first defendant, the Hells Angels giant, of a particularly shocking attack: out of nowhere, he punched a woman hard in the face in a restaurant garden. 

Hitler salute and Nazi slogans in the holding cell
However, he was only charged with committing a criminal offense while fully intoxicated - according to the expert opinion, the almost two-metre tall German was not sane due to the consumption of alcohol and Valium. However, the 38-year-old was sane again when he threatened officers after his arrest and accused them of mistreatment in police custody. Where he gave the Hitler salute several times and shouted Nazi slogans. 

The subject of Hells Angels has no place here at all. In Austria, this is nothing more than an association of motorcyclists.

Anwalt Philipp Wolm vertritt den erstangeklagten Deutschen

Bild: Gerhard Bartel

His defense lawyer Philipp Wolm announces right at the beginning that his client will plead guilty to these charges in full - but not to racketeering. "What we have here is a classic case of mistaken identity. He has an alibi. When this happened, he was on a romantic vacation with a lady at a spa." Photos would also prove this.

Romantic weekend during protection racket
However, the presiding judge confronted the 38-year-old with the fact that there was no evidence from restaurants and the like, nor had he entered the spa area on that day. The snotty answer: "I just needed an attractive hotel room for three hours." And the Hells Angels member was also uncooperative in other respects. "Did you know that there is something like a prohibition law in Austria?" - "I didn't know. I know now," was the terse reply.

The Linz lawyer Andreas Mauhart represents the third defendant.

(Bild: Alexander Schwarzl)

Otherwise, the German, who has lived in Austria for 13 years, refers to the statements of his lawyer Philipp Wolm. It is important for him to emphasize one thing in particular: "The Hells Angels issue has absolutely no place here. In Austria, this is nothing more than an association of motorcyclists. He may belong to them. But he is actually a gangster rapper by profession." And the defense lawyer for the third defendant, Andreas Mauhart, also explained to the jury that these are working men and family men who "while others are eating chips on the couch in the evening, are working on their works of art in the garage." But by no means serious criminals. 

No one is to blame for racketeering
The 38-year-old Upper Austrian only pleaded guilty to one punch. "The two simply don't like each other", says Mauhart. The second defendant (50) is completely innocent. During a house search in the course of the large-scale raids against the rocker scene, two glasses with depictions of Hitler were seized from him "I forgot them", said the father of two in court. He was also not present at the racketeering raid. 

Several trial days have been scheduled for a large number of witnesses. If convicted as charged, the rockers could face up to ten years in prison.