Woman crushed to death

No leniency after double murder attempt with car

The rampage took place at this petrol station in Telfs, Tyrol.

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof/Samuel Thurner, Krone KREATIV)

Frenzied with jealousy, a Turkish man (32) under the influence of drugs drove his car towards his ex's boyfriend at a petrol station in Telfs in Tyrol last year and flattened a cashier (25). The woman barely survived and had to fight her way back to life. The driver was sentenced to 17 years in prison for two counts of attempted murder. He now tried to challenge the amount of the sentence at the Higher Regional Court.

She only wanted to settle a dispute and almost lost her young life. Daniela L. (25) was crushed by a car at a Shell petrol station in Telfs in mid-April last year.

I first had to learn to speak again.

Das Opfer beim Prozess am Innsbrucker

Born in Salzburg, she hit her head on the asphalt and was critically injured. After waking up from a coma 30 days later, she was given an artificial skullcap and has bravely fought her way back to life ever since. "I first had to learn to speak again," the young woman described at the trial at the end of October, during which she struggled into the jury courtroom at Innsbruck Regional Court, visibly handicapped.

"Discussion" with ex's new boyfriend ended fatally
At the wheel of the VW Passat was a Turkish man (32) with a criminal record, who had previously popped an ecstasy tablet and taken around a gram of cocaine through his nose. "I found out that evening that my daughter's mother had a new boyfriend," confessed the accused.

The defendant pleaded "partially guilty" before the regional court.

(Bild: Thurner Samuel/Krone KREATIV)

Without further ado, the two men met for a "discussion" at the petrol station where Daniela L. worked. "It was primarily about my daughter. I didn't want her hanging around the petrol station late at night," emphasized the 32-year-old. But the argument escalated and there was a wild scuffle.

"Just wanted to scare them both"
The petrol station employee, who is also the best friend of the Turk's ex, wanted to separate the two brawlers. But the man, described by many as insanely jealous, obviously didn't want to calm down. He got into his car and drove towards the rival and Daniela. While the man was able to save himself with a courageous jump to the side, the young woman was hit by the car and brutally thrown to the ground. "I just wanted to scare them," the defendant justified himself.

Tears in the courtroom
In the end, the jurors were not entirely unanimous. But for six of the eight lay judges, it was two counts of attempted murder. After the verdict of 17 years in prison, some family members wept bitter tears and the 32-year-old's mother even broke down in the courtroom.

Sentence confirmed
However, both the Turkish man and the public prosecutor's office did not agree with the verdict and so a hearing was held at the Higher Regional Court on Tuesday. "My client did not plan the crime and wanted to drive the woman to hospital immediately afterwards. However, the first-instance verdict took too little account of his behavior after the crime," said the defence lawyer, pleading for a more lenient sentence. The senior public prosecutor, on the other hand, wanted a harsher sentence, as the fact that the crime was carried out with a weapon, the car, had not been taken into account. However, the three professional judges found the 17-year prison sentence to be appropriate in terms of guilt and the crime.