Father in court

Hiding in the toilet with cannabis from investigators

The man limped around in front of the judge.

(Bild: Dorn Chantall/Krone KREATIV)

A 52-year-old Syrian man's attempt to escape drug squad officers during a house search in Vorarlberg failed miserably. He was arrested together with cannabis in a quiet place. On Tuesday, the man had to answer to the Feldkirch regional court.

The accused limped into the courtroom on two crutches and with his face contorted with pain. He is sure to attract the attention of those present in the courtroom as he drops onto the chair with a groan. "Can you walk?" asks Judge Marco Mazzia. To which the handicapped man nods briefly. He has had several operations on his intervertebral discs, knees, stomach and chest, the interpreter explains to the delinquent, who has not worked for five years due to his disabilities.

The police officers called as witnesses, from whom the accused tried to flee during the house search last June, claim that the man is better on his feet, almost as nimble as a weasel. The reason for the officers' visit to his home in Oberland was the suspicion of hoarding 500 grams of cannabis. It was not the 52-year-old who was targeted by the authorities, but the Syrian's son, who was active in the drug scene but was not at home at the time. However, the officers had not expected the massive resistance and the subsequent action of the accused.

At first, the man was just shouting, but then became more and more aggressive, a police officer reported in the witness box. He fought them with his hands and feet, then ran into the toilet with a drug bag and locked himself in there. But his plan to flush the cannabis down the toilet failed because the police had levered the door open in the meantime. During the trial, the Syrian claimed to have acted out of fear. "I'm really sorry. But I wanted to protect my son. Because from my home country, I'm used to the police attacking you." What public prosecutor Karin Dragosits dismisses as a purely protective claim by the 52-year-old: "Fear my ass. You know that the police in Austria act differently than in Syria. Otherwise you wouldn't dare to make drugs disappear and attack officers in such a brazen manner."

In the end, the judge saw it the same way. Even though the accused claims not to know Austrian law and says he is ashamed of his behavior, he is found guilty of resisting public authority, grievous bodily harm, suppression of evidence and illegal handling of narcotics. He gets off with a fine of 1000 euros. The convicted man must pay an officer 100 euros for the scratch he suffered. The verdict is not final.