Surroundings stand by him

Parents’ inn torched: son on trial

The trained catering specialist had to defend himself at Wels Regional Court

(Bild: Constantin Handl, Krone KREATIV)

On Thursday, a 21-year-old had to stand trial at Wels Provincial Court for allegedly burning his parents' inn to the ground. The judge and lay assessors did not believe that the blaze, which caused 1.5 million euros in damage, was actually just the result of a carelessly discarded piece of rubbish: 24 months in prison.

He was frustrated, drunk and in dark thoughts when the 21-year-old landlord's son came home from a friend's house on August 1st. He went upstairs to his room to get a cigarette. "I then smoked it downstairs by the carport and garbage area. My thoughts were somewhere else, namely with my best friend, who had shot himself, and two other friends who had died in traffic accidents," says the blameless man.

Carelessly flicked away
He then carelessly flicked the stub away in the direction of the container instead of into the ashtray. When he went back downstairs a little later to get a glass of water from the bar, he saw the bright flickering outside. "I ran out with a bucket of water, but it didn't help," says the 21-year-old meekly.

Frozen despite fire experience
Although he had been in the volunteer fire department for ten years and had also worked as a breathing apparatus wearer at fires, he was terrified at that moment. In the end, however, he woke his parents and left the inn, which had been there since 1972, with them.

"Wants to run the business, knows nothing else"
The inn and carport could no longer be saved, the damage amounted to 1.5 million euros. In court, the trained catering specialist from his parents' business denied the accused intent. "I also want to rebuild and run the business," said the defendant. "That has always been my goal, I don't know anything else. That's why I'm now working in Ischgl for the season, so that I can learn something."

Family sticks together
His relationship with his family has also been very good since the fire, "We stick together," says the 21-year-old. Despite the psychological treatment, the events still affect him: "We lost everything, I lost everything. Now I don't even have a photo of my cousin and my friends who died."

Few new findings
Three witnesses were summoned to court on Thursday, two police officers and the mother of the accused. However, even the expert witness on the cause of the fire did not provide any really new findings - he confirmed the result of his expert opinion that ignition of the fire by a cigarette butt was quite unlikely - but could not be ruled out.

Defendant not alone
His father, some friends, neighbors and family friends also stood by the 21-year-old during the trial and during the breaks, and cheered him up after the verdict. The verdict was finally handed down in the early afternoon: 24 months in prison, eight of them unconditional. The partial responsibility and young age were mitigating factors, while the combination of several criminal offenses was aggravating. A paper container had already burned in the same place in May, but the fire was extinguished in time - he was also convicted of attempted arson for this on Thursday. He had also become entangled in contradictions during various police interviews.

What happens next
The landlord's son was obviously devastated by the verdict. Nevertheless, things are to continue: The parents' inn will be rebuilt, and the insurance has already paid for part of it. The son can apply for a shackle for the unconditional part of his prison sentence so that he can continue to work - and perhaps one day take over his parents' traditional inn after all.