Rhineland-Palatinate
Death shot after mask dispute: Judgment expected in Idar-Oberstein gas station murder
The act on September 18, 2021 at a gas station in Idar-Oberstein, Rhineland-Palatinate (pictured here) caused horror across the country
© Christian Schulz/Photo Hosser / DPA
A cashier was shot dead at a gas station in Rhineland-Palatinate almost a year ago. This was preceded by a dispute about compliance with the corona mask requirement. Now the verdict in the murder trial.
In the trial of the fatal shot at a gas station employee in the dispute over the corona mask requirement, the verdict is to be announced this Tuesday (9 a.m.). Prosecutors have asked for life imprisonment for the accused. In addition, the Bad Kreuznach district court is to determine the particular severity of the guilt.
If the court follows suit, a release from prison for the now 50-year-old would be legally possible if he was sentenced to life imprisonment after 15 years, but in practice it would be almost impossible.
Gas station murder had caused nationwide horror
The defense has dismissed the murder charge. The German’s two lawyers pleaded for manslaughter with significantly reduced criminal responsibility of the accused, who, according to an expert, had around two per thousand alcohol in the blood. The defense did not name a penalty. The crime on September 18, 2021 at a gas station in Idar-Oberstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, caused horror across the country.
The question of who was the perpetrator did not play a major role in the six-month trial, as it was undisputed from the start. The accused had confessed that he got a gun at home out of anger that the young cashier didn’t want to sell him beer without a corona mask and that he went to the gas station again to have pulled the trigger. There was also video footage of the crime. He didn’t have a gun license for the revolver. He is also charged with illegal gun possession.
On the other hand, it remained disputed whether the 50-year-old acted out of base motives and malice and whether the guilt was particularly serious. For the public prosecutor and the lawyer for the victim’s mother, who took part in the trial as a joint plaintiff, this is beyond a doubt. The defense, on the other hand, tried to use the murder characteristics of malice and base motives and sees neither as given.
The assessment of controllability will also play an important role in the judgment. In the opinion of the public prosecutor’s office and the co-prosecutor, the accused is fully culpable, despite considerable alcohol consumption. They do not see any mitigating circumstances, but the defense does. In his last statement before the verdict was announced, the accused once again emphasized how sorry he was for the crime.