The Algerian set fire to the foam mattress in his cell, and two officers suffered from smoke inhalation. The 35-year-old is also sent to an institution for mentally abnormal offenders. The judgment is not final.
The accused pleaded guilty to the jury panel chaired by Judge Michaela Sanin. According to the officials, he is said to have behaved aggressively on several occasions in the prison, which is why he was transferred to an isolated cell with video surveillance. However, the 35-year-old is said not to have agreed with this, which is why he first set fire to his jacket and then the foam mattress.
According to the fire expert Peter Anderwald, there was a massive smoke development within a very short time: “It’s a miracle that the accused got out alive.” When the fire was noticed, officers responded immediately, two of whom suffered smoke inhalation. Otherwise no one was injured.
The 35-year-old tried to justify himself in court by saying that he could not breathe in the small cell and that the officers did not take him seriously in this regard. According to the report, the accused suffers from a serious personality disorder, which is why he has repeatedly committed criminal offenses in recent years. He has already been convicted seven times in the past, one of which still has to be served by the end of 2024.
The 35-year-old accepted the verdict, prosecutor Karin Schweiger gave no explanation. The judgment is therefore not final.
Source: Nachrichten
