He admitted that he shot his mother on November 23, 2023. “I plead guilty 100 percent,” he said at the trial in state court. The crime took place in the living room of the single-family home in the Zell am See district where mother and son had lived together.
The previously blameless defendant stated that his motive was that he wanted to free his mother from the stressful situation that he had caused due to his long-term addiction to alcohol and medication. That day he had to admit to himself that he was very drunk again and had a relapse, and that he was burdening his mother again – “it’s eating away at her again,” replied the Pinzgauer when asked by the presiding judge Martina Kocher what exactly that was The trigger was to end his mother’s life. “Unless I have it in my head completely wrong, I said to her: ‘Mom, I’m so sorry, I can’t help it.’ Then I pointed the gun at her and pulled the trigger.” The shot hit the woman in the face at close range and she died instantly.
32-year-old confessed
The trained nursing assistant, who has been receiving emergency assistance since 2019 and suffers from anxiety disorders and depression, called the police on the emergency call after the crime and made a confession. He was arrested during the phone call. The police found the victim lying on the couch in the living room with the television playing in the background. A shotgun, which the 32-year-old legally owned, was seized as the murder weapon. There were no witnesses to the crime.
According to a report, the accused had 2.3 per mille of alcohol in his blood at the time of the crime. According to the expertise of the neuropsychiatric expert Gabriele Wörgötter, he had limited mental capacity. Public prosecutor Robert Holzleitner reported that the defendant had last worked in a ski rental shop in the 2018/2019 winter season, had previously worked in a retirement home and was still leading a “normal life” at the time. Over the years, however, the man had taken psychotropic drugs, sometimes abusively, and in combination with alcohol. “He described himself as a quarter drinker.”
On November 23, 2023, the accused consumed high-proof alcohol and various psychotropic drugs, but he still knew what he was doing, according to the public prosecutor. “A key part of this trial will be the question of why he wanted to ‘redeem’ his mother in this way.”
The defendant was able to explain the question about the weapons when asked by the judge. His former girlfriend was a sports shooter. He often accompanied her to the shooting range and trained with the weapons. Because he fired a shot into the air with his signal pistol in front of a bar on New Year’s Eve 2022 to protect himself from an aggressive guest, as the 32-year-old explained today, he received a criminal complaint for dangerous threats. The procedure was carried out in a diversionary manner. That’s why the man is still considered blameless.
Defense attorney Peter Macheiner said there was no justification for the crime. He asked the court to take into account the defendant’s situation at the time and asked for a lenient sentence. The lawyer explained that because of Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), which the accused has suffered from since he was 20, he took medication that was prescribed by a doctor and contained opiates. With this syndrome, those affected feel an unpleasant urge to move in the legs, mainly in the calves. Tingling or pulling are typical symptoms.
“He wanted to get away from it”
The medication worked, but his client became addicted. “He wanted to get away from it, he was well on his way to reducing his daily dose,” said the defense attorney. However, the withdrawal symptoms were stressful for the man and his family. “The doctors warn against addiction – you resort to a way out. That was alcohol.” Nevertheless, living with her mother was harmonious.
The defendant himself spoke of a sheltered childhood. “Everything went well in terms of school and training. In 2019, I was diagnosed with opiate addiction. A normal everyday working life was no longer possible.” He received help from the doctors and also had good support from his family. “The withdrawal and the therapy were my will.” However, in 2023 the alcohol crept back in phases and he saw that his mother was worried. “She told me she’ll do it and seek help if she doesn’t feel well. There’s nothing that excuses the act. I’m to blame and no one else is to blame. I’m sorry for the family.”
A verdict will probably be pronounced today.
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