Erfurt (dpa/th) - A man has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for blowing up an ATM in Erfurt. In addition, the 46-year-old was placed in a rehabilitation center, said a spokesman for the Erfurt district court on Thursday. The court remained under the criminal complaint of the public prosecutor's office, which had demanded a prison sentence of nine years. The defense had requested an acquittal.
The judges found the man guilty of blowing up an ATM together with a gang three years ago in a supermarket in Erfurt-Mittelhausen. They captured more than 126,000 euros and caused damage of 70,000 euros.
The father of three has already been convicted several times, also relevant, and has been in prison repeatedly in the past. During the trial, the defendant also spoke of his alcohol and drug problems. The trial, which first began in May 2021, had to be suspended and restarted twice due to the defendant's inability to stand trial.
Although the blowing up of ATMs in Thuringia is not a mass phenomenon, it is a target from time to time. According to the police, it is not uncommon for the perpetrators to be gangs. They prefer places with good access to the highway. In a federal comparison, however, the number of cases in the Free State is low.
