"Highly dangerous"

Trial begins against poisoner in Lower Austria

The 32-year-old at her trial in Korneuburg Regional Court (Lower Austria)

(Bild: Antal Imre/Imre Antal, Krone KREATIV)

The police have been investigating at full speed for two years - now the trial against a 32-year-old woman is starting in Korneuburg provincial court. Bernadette H. allegedly tried to kill her boyfriend with a special drink and prepared muffins. "The degree of manipulation and malice is unique," states the public prosecutor. According to the court psychiatrist, this also makes H. highly dangerous. 

It is a cinematic sequence of events that will be the subject of the next few days in Korneuburg Regional Court (Lower Austria). "The degree of manipulation and malice is unique," begins public prosecutor Gudrun Bischof as she presents the explosive charges against Bernadette H. 

32-year-old is closely guarded
The petite woman is brought into courtroom 16 accompanied by seven prison guards. In her black costume and her long hair braided into a plait, the 32-year-old presents an image that is almost in complete contrast to the calculating woman characterized by the prosecutor. Who allegedly tried to kill her then partner twice in 2022.

Magic mushrooms and methanol in the special drink
What happened? On July 8, 2022, she allegedly poisoned Andreas F. - "She gave him a special drink at a party that she had prepared days before and mixed with magic mushrooms," said the prosecutor. The base was methanol ...

Andreas F. woke up on July 14, 2022 almost completely blind.

Staatsanwältin Gudrun Bischof

"The next day he felt a slight hangover" - over the next few hours it got worse and worse, and he eventually required intensive medical treatment. "It was only through the rapid initiation of specific treatment and blood purification that it was possible to prevent the highly probable imminent death." However, the 42-year-old, represented by lawyer Arthur Machac, became almost completely blind as a result ...

She is said to have kept the "special drink" in these bottles.

(Bild: zVg)

Just four months later, the next attempted murder was charged: "Bernadette H. encouraged him to eat muffins she had baked." The trained pastry chef used sleeping pills in the dessert and cut his wrist after he fell unconscious - fortunately, Andreas F. survived.

Knife attack staged
What happened on the night of May 16/17, 2023 could have been written in a crime novel instead of an indictment: With a separately pursued accomplice, defended by lawyer Mirsad Musliu, she had faked a knife attack on herself - and then blamed it on her now ex-boyfriend. The 32-year-old drew blood, placed it in front of and in the house of Andreas F. She even stole his cell phone while he was sleeping, made fake calls and wrote messages.

Andreas F. in Korneuburg district court

(Bild: Sophie Pratschner)

The visually impaired 42-year-old was remanded in custody for several months. However, the investigation finally revealed that F. could not have committed the alleged act of violence. Rather, he had been the victim of two - fortunately unsuccessful - assassination attempts. Bernadette H. was arrested. 

Letters smuggled out of custody
"But even in custody, she did not stop manipulating others," the public prosecutor clarifies. She wrote letters from custody, instigating false testimony. Just as she had done with neighbors and friends, some of whom had already been convicted. 

She was fully aware that it could look like she was to blame for everything here. She then really came up with this very, very stupid idea of staging this incident on May 17, 2023.

Verteidiger Sascha Flatz

Bild: zVg

That's also the only thing the 32-year-old has pleaded guilty to. Her defence lawyer Sascha Flatz emphasizes: "She actually saved Mr F.'s life twice." After both the poisoning and the wrist cut, his client activated the rescue chain. Nevertheless: "She was fully aware that it could look like she was to blame for everything. She then really came up with this very, very stupid idea of staging this incident on May 17, 2023."

"Caring mother and loving partner"
But not out of cold-blooded calculation - she simply wanted to divert suspicion away from herself, explains Flatz, describing his client as a "caring mother and loving partner". She had no motive at all for the two attempted murders. The public prosecutor's office sees things differently: Andreas F. appointed the 32-year-old as the sole heir to his fortune of a whopping three million euros. 

Five days, 25 witnesses and three experts
A criminal story that attracted the media to the Korneuburg Regional Court even beyond Austria's borders. Five days are scheduled for the sensational trial. After 25 witnesses and three expert witnesses, a verdict is planned for November 13. The woman faces life imprisonment and placement in a forensic therapy center.