"Sager slipped out"

Diversion for Gmundner who threatened to set AMS on fire

He had not really wanted to set fire to the AMS, a 53-year-old justified himself.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

He hadn't meant it seriously, the statement had slipped out. That was enough for the judge to offer the emergency unemployment benefit recipient (53) a diversion, which he accepted. A decision on the detention of the 36-year-old who took an AMS employee hostage in Gmunden will be made on Friday.

On Wednesday, a 53-year-old man received a diversion for a probationary period of two years at the Linz Regional Court because he had threatened to set fire to the Labor Market Service (AMS) and the Pension Insurance Institution (PV). The recipient of unemployment assistance admitted that he had been in "an agitated state of mind", but denied the intention to make a dangerous threat.

"A can of petrol doesn't cost much"
The man was accused of having said in a telephone conversation with his AMS supervisor on May 21 that "if the AMS and PVA play each other any longer, then I'll set fire to the AMS office and the PVA as well, because a small can of petrol doesn't cost much ...". The employee was not generally afraid, but reported the incident to the police.

Up to three years
The defendant told the judge that he had "slipped out". He emphasized that he had never meant to threaten anyone dangerously, as charged in the indictment. The judge then offered the man a diversion, which he accepted. The public prosecutor also agreed. "If you don't commit any offences in the next two years, the proceedings will be finally dropped," said the judge. The penalty for making a dangerous threat of arson is up to three years in prison.

Hostage taker still in custody
However, a 36-year-old man who took an employee of the AMS Gmunden hostage on September 20, armed with two knives, is still in custody. The suspect had "intended" to spend the winter in prison as a result of the crime, said a spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office in Wels. He was apparently threatened with eviction. A decision will be made on Friday regarding the extension of his pre-trial detention. Nobody was injured during the hostage-taking, the 36-year-old surrendered after the police arrived at the scene.