Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - A trial about a bloody attack with a letter opener ended with the accused being acquitted. The jury chamber at the Frankfurt Regional Court assumed on Monday that the 55-year-old defendant was in a self-defense situation in July last year at a kiosk in Frankfurt's Ostpark. He had stabbed his 27-year-old opponent in the stomach with the sharp tool, necessitating a hospital stay. The public prosecutor then brought charges of attempted manslaughter and dangerous bodily harm.
An argument broke out between the two men after the 27-year-old rode the accused's bike around. In court, the victim freely admitted on the witness stand that he had hit the defendant, who was inferior to him, with full force. According to the verdict, the 55-year-old therefore had no other way to end the attack within the "flowing sequence of events". According to the verdict, he did not have to warn his opponent beforehand before using the weapon.
However, the accused was sentenced for another incident: because he had insulted a doctor and a staff member while in custody, the court imposed a fine of 2,880 euros (120 daily rates). The verdict is not yet legally binding. Prosecutors had asked for a two-year prison sentence without parole.
