Safe cracked

Driving a felon: “Chauffeur” in custody

In February, the perpetrators broke into the villa in Baden and stole watches, jewelry and cash from the safe. (symbolic image)

(Bild: SID NÖ/stock.adobe.com)

Convicted: After a coup in a villa in Baden, a 43-year-old man has now been sentenced to prison at St. Pölten Provincial Court. He allegedly stole jewelry and watches worth more than 200,000 euros during the break-in in February. He himself denied the allegations.

A Bulgarian now had to pay dearly for the "company" of serious criminals. For good reason, as the 43-year-old (who has a criminal record himself) is said to have been involved in a burglary in Baden at the beginning of February as an "accomplice" of a criminal with multiple convictions. At that time, the perpetrators broke into a house at night, used massive force to break into a safe hidden behind a picture in the study and stole cash amounting to 16,000 euros, silver and gold coins, jewelry and 28 brand-name watches with a total value of more than 200,000 euros.

The man had to answer to the St. Pölten provincial court for aggravated burglary.

(Bild: P. Huber)

Accomplice already has 28 previous convictions
The DNA traces of the "travel companion" were recovered at the scene of the crime. The 39-year-old Bulgarian is in custody after a brutal home invasion in Untertullnerbach - during which a 76-year-old woman was tied up and forced to remain buried under cloths for more than 20 hours.

Verdict not legally binding
According to the accused, the fact that his movements in and out of the country coincided perfectly with the burglary in Baden was pure coincidence. "I had nothing to do with it", the man pleaded not guilty in court. He had merely bought goods for a store and was only driving his compatriot across the border. A carpool with consequences: The Bulgarian has now been sentenced to 24 months in prison. The sentence is not final.