3 rockers in court

Hells Angels trial: the verdicts are now in

The trial against three suspected members of the Hells Angels rocker gang was concluded at the Vienna Regional Court on Friday. The main defendant was sentenced to eleven months, which he will not have to serve again due to pre-trial detention. 

The second defendant was completely acquitted, the third defendant was sentenced to 21 months, eleven of which he still has to serve.

The last witness to testify on Friday was a 31-year-old woman who apparently had a "tryst" with the main defendant in the late summer of 2023. His defense lawyer Philipp Wolm saw the woman's statements as a "flawless alibi".

Numerous accusations
The three defendants, aged 31, 38 and 50, were charged with a wide range of criminal offenses. The incriminated charges range from extortion of protection money and bodily harm to dangerous threats and coercion. One of the main charges concerned a dance club in Upper Austria, which had probably already been the victim of racketeering in the past.

On September 17, 2023, the venue was again targeted by suspected criminals. According to the indictment, members of the Hells Angels from Austria and a group from Germany visited and beat up customers, the manager and the DJ because they did not want to sell drugs there.

All three defendants - it has not yet been possible to find out who else was involved - claimed that they were not involved in these incidents.