Two years in prison

Insubordinate stalker: death threats from his cell

The 30-year-old already has five previous convictions.

(Bild: Sophie Pratschner, Krone KREATIV)

The 30-year-old was only convicted of stalking his ex-girlfriend at the end of June. As soon as he set foot outside the courtroom, he started sending emails and calling her again - even after his arrest, he continued to terrorize her and her family. Now he is back in the Vienna provincial court. In addition to a prison sentence, he will not be given a final sentence.

This is not his first time in Vienna's provincial court, nor is it the first time he has been accused of stalking. It was only at the end of June that the 30-year-old was sentenced to seven months' imprisonment, which was not legally binding. The sentence has not yet been carried out because he wants to appeal to the Vienna Higher Regional Court. The young man obviously didn't learn anything from this - he is said to have simply continued to persistently pursue his ex.

Almost 1500 calls in three months
He is said to have contacted the woman several times a day with threats, and from June 28, 2024 he wrote 159 emails and called 1465 times. "That is also the day of his last conviction and that goes up to September 17, the day of his arrest," the public prosecutor clarifies the period of the crime.

They were arrested and used their rights as defendants to make further threats.

Beisitzende Richterin im Schöffenprozess

Mother and sister threatened in front of officers
However, the arrest by the police was by no means the end of the story. "They were arrested and used their rights as defendants to make further threats," summarized the presiding judge. At the police station, he called the victim's mother: "Hello, I'm telling you, the first thing I'm going to do when I get out of here is to come and kill your daughter." As if that wasn't enough, he also contacted the sister: "Hello, I'm in the cell right now. No matter when I get out, tomorrow or a year from now, the first thing I'm going to do is kill your sister."

"Is that what you said?" the presiding judge wants to know. The 30-year-old Viennese sits back casually in the prosecution chair: "Yes, you could say that. The police officers were sitting opposite me." He formally pleads guilty to the charges of stalking and making dangerous threats - "I've confessed."

"They weren't death threats"
However, his statements during the trial quickly put this into perspective. "I wanted them to feel sorry for me, but not afraid" and "They weren't actually death threats." On the advice of his defense lawyer, however: "I have to confess."

Two years in prison and committal
Because the defendant has a lot at stake. He already has five previous convictions on his record. 5,000 euros in administrative fines are still outstanding because the Viennese man continually violated his ex-girlfriend's restraining order. The public prosecutor's office has also applied for him to be placed in a forensic therapy center. A combined personality disorder with narcissistic elements would make the 30-year-old dangerous according to a psychiatric report.

The panel of lay judges agreed. The defendant is also sentenced to two years in prison; two outstanding conditional sentences are revoked. Neither the public prosecutor's office nor the young Viennese man make any statements.