Long prison sentence for Viennese

Father blames robbery on 14-year-old son

The first accused father seriously accuses the two youngsters: his son (right) and his friend (17)

(Bild: Sophie Pratschner, Krone KREATIV)

In Vienna's regional court, a 34-year-old man delivers an account that is hard to beat in terms of absurdity: It wasn't him who had the idea for numerous robberies at tobacconists and petrol stations, but his son, aged just 14, and his older friend. However, he is unable to convince any of the parties involved in the trial and the Viennese himself finally buckles - and receives an eight-year sentence.

It is quite an unusual constellation of defendants being presented in courtroom 1 at the Vienna Regional Court: "What the first defendant is ultimately accused of is that he incited and also led his 14-year-old son and his best friend to commit a series of robberies," summarizes the public prosecutor. 

"We are talking about the most serious crime"
The 34-year-old planned seven robberies at tobacconists and petrol stations and then had them carried out by the two teenagers. "The modus operandi remained essentially the same. The children are sent in and the father drives the getaway car," the prosecutor explains. "We are talking about the most serious crime here." Assault masks, knives and even a blank-firing pistol were used, with most of the loot amounting to around 1500 euros.

The father (34) (right with his lawyer) and the two boys are presented from custody.

(Bild: Sophie Pratschner, Krone KREATIV)

And as if the prosecution's charges weren't shocking enough, the Viennese man goes one better in his interrogation: it wasn't him who had the idea for the numerous robberies - but his son and his 17-year-old friend. In fact, he had only been involved in two attacks in tobacconists. His defense lawyer - who also represents the 14-year-old - continues: "The first defendant did not need the two children for the robberies. It's the other way around. The two persuaded him." The statement earns incredulous looks from the audience and the jury ...

Why are you dragging your son into this? I would do anything to keep my children out of it as much as possible. It's destroying his life. I find that incomprehensible.

Schöffin im Wiener Landesgericht

However, the 34-year-old continues to talk his head off. Even when he is confronted with cell phone reports proving that he was at the crime scene or that he had the murder weapon at home - it was all the boys. A female juror finally says what everyone else in the room is probably thinking: "Why are you dragging your son into this? I would do anything to keep my children out of it as much as possible. It's destroying his life. I find that incomprehensible." The Viennese can't answer the question ...

Lawyer Nikolaus Rast defends the third accused 17-year-old, who confessed from the beginning.

(Bild: Klemens Groh)

Lawyer Nikolaus Rast, who is defending the third defendant and unrelated 17-year-old, can only say one thing about the father's responsibility: "I am rarely speechless. It happened exactly as the public prosecutor said. The two young people certainly didn't play the leading role and that's clear to everyone here in the courtroom."

Change of heart after a break in proceedings
The 34-year-old must have realized this after a short break in the proceedings, because before his son can testify, he wants to add something. And lo and behold: "I plead guilty in full." However, he does not want to answer any other questions. The presiding judge can't help himself: "An hour and a half earlier, you would have saved us a lot of time." 

Tobacconist suffers from "massive after-effects"
The two boys do the same; the trial, which was scheduled to last two days, can now be shortened considerably. This is because witnesses and victims are no longer needed - a relief in view of the psychological strain on some of them. The victim representative of a tobacconist speaks of "massive after-effects" suffered by his client. Not only did she lose her job due to sick leave after the robbery, she also had to take medication to sleep and for anxiety. "She is proud of herself that she can go back to a tobacconist's at all," the lawyer explains.

The verdicts against the three Viennese are handed down quickly: the 34-year-old receives a non-appealable eight-year prison sentence. His son, now 15 years old, is sentenced to three and a half years, one of which is fixed. His best friend was sentenced to two and a half years, including ten months in prison. Their confession was a mitigating factor - even if the first defendant was a little slow to confess ...