The trial against the defendant Frank P., who seriously injured nine emergency services in an explosion in a high-rise building in Ratingen-West in May, ended significantly earlier than originally planned with the verdict on Wednesday.
The 57-year-old perpetrator was convicted, among other things, of attempted murder. The criminal chamber also noted the particular gravity of the guilt. This means that it cannot be checked after 15 years whether Frank P. can be released on probation. The convicted person must also pay a total of 55,000 euros in compensation.
Judge: “perfidious and pointless”
In his verdict, the judge described the crime as perfidious and senseless and said the perpetrator had an inhumane attitude. The man accepted the verdict without much emotion, as he had throughout the entire trial.
Almost all of the nine injured emergency services were present for the verdict on Wednesday, including the two seriously injured police officers. The verdict is not yet final and the defense can file an appeal within a week. The defense attorney declined to comment today on whether he will do so.
Lawyer Joachim Heitmann, who represents an affected paramedic, was satisfied with the verdict: “The sentence is appropriate. The perpetrator has been appropriately assessed. From my client’s point of view, the verdict is also a source of satisfaction for her personally.“
Defense: Doubts about the seriousness of the guilt
The day of the trial began on Wednesday morning with the defense’s statement. In it, the defense raised doubts about the seriousness of the guilt. The direction of the fire or the explosion could not have been predicted by the defendant.
Prosecutors demanded life imprisonment
In their plea on Monday (December 11, 2023), the Düsseldorf public prosecutor’s office demanded life imprisonment for the 57-year-old – and that the particular gravity of the guilt be determined.
The public prosecutor accused the defendant of nine counts of attempted murder and attributed it only to fortunate circumstances that no one died. The man deliberately took advantage of the situation so that the emergency services did not expect an attack. From their point of view, there are no mitigating factors.
Expert: No evidence of mental illness
The psychiatric expert in the case also testified on Monday. The defendant rejected authorities, the church and everything that represented authority for him and also railed against doctors, he said. This becomes clear from the defendant’s documents, which the judge read out on Monday.
According to the expert, he knew exactly what kind of situation he was facing during the crime. Even in the subsequent detention, the man was well oriented when spoken to. He previously attended a school for people with learning disabilities, which could possibly indicate slightly below-average intelligence. However, no mental illness can be derived from all of this, which is why the defendant is fully responsible.
Seriously injured policewoman impresses in court
Last week, the appearance of the most seriously injured police officer as a witness impressed many people present. Leaning on a stick, her face heavily marked with red burn scars, she had entered the hall.
The 25-year-old still wore a thick bandage around her head, with individual blonde hairs sticking out. More than 60 percent of her body area was burned as a result of the crime and she was in the intensive care unit for several months. She will have to undergo further operations.
The policewoman described the events in a firm voice and with complete clarity. An emergency doctor had previously explained that when he was deployed he did not think that the policewoman would survive the day.