Karlsruhe/Erfurt (dpa/th) - The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has confirmed the judgment of the Erfurt Regional Court against a professional driver for murdering his wife. The 4th criminal division of the BGH rejected the man's appeal against the decision of the Erfurt court to life imprisonment as unfounded, as the court announced on Tuesday in Karlsruhe (Az. 4 StR 53/22). The review of the verdict showed that it did not contain any legal errors to the detriment of the accused.
The district court had considered it proven that the professional driver intentionally hit his then 40-year-old wife from behind with an SUV in Arnstadt in July 2020 when she was cycling home. Even before the crime, there were repeated arguments and attempts by the woman to separate. When he finally threatened her with a knife, she moved out with the kids in 2017. In the spring of 2019, the woman then met a new partner. The man, who is said to have always played a dominant role in the marriage, could not bear this.
The court had no doubt about the guilt of the accused and sentenced him to life imprisonment for murder. However, the special gravity of the guilt - which excludes a review of the release from prison after 15 years - was not determined by the jury. Unlike the public prosecutor's office, the judges saw only the murder characteristic of insidiousness.
