Accusation: attempted murder

Romanian wanted to kill his own brother?

The defendant sits in the middle of the jury courtroom, flanked by two prison guards.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

The public prosecutor's office accused a Romanian man (37) of attempted murder at his trial in Salzburg on Thursday: He is alleged to have beaten his brother unconscious with an iron bar. Or did he push him down the stairs?

The accused Romanian, who has several previous convictions, should not have been here in Salzburg. Because he was banned from staying after serving a long prison sentence. But the man, who did not attend school and could neither read nor write, returned in September 2023 with a forged ID: "Because of my sick mother," the interpreter translated at the trial on Thursday in Salzburg Regional Court.

One crime, two versions
On New Year's Eve, the 37-year-old was celebrating with his girlfriend when his brother came to visit with his wife and two children. "Uninvited", as the accused emphasized in his statements. An argument broke out. Both brothers clashed. From then on, the stories differ: Prosecutor Roland Finster speaks of attempted murder. "The accused grabbed an iron bar and lay in wait for his brother in the stairwell." He hit his brother's head once with the bar. He lost consciousness and suffered several fractures to his face as a result of the "life-threatening" blow. "A deliberate act", said Finster. Defense lawyer Oskar Weiß counters: The accusation of attempted murder was "exaggerated".

And: "The iron bar simply doesn't exist." Rather, the injuries were caused by a shove. "We offered him food. And he knocked over the table," the accused tells his version. The brother attacked his partner and even pulled out a knife. He intervened and then pushed him down a flight of stairs. His brother didn't bleed: "Otherwise I would have called the ambulance", says the accused.

Only eyewitnesses can clarify exactly what happened. But most of them ignored the court summons. The judge therefore adjourned the trial.