- Germany edition
- Change edition:
- France |
- Norway |
- Spain |
- Sweden |
- Switzerland
Court: Jeweller shot teen in 'self-defence'
Published: 12 Sep 12 16:39 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20120912-44937.html
A 67-year-old German jeweller was spared prison on Wednesday despite killing a teenager who held up her shop. A regional court ruled that shooting the intruder in the back of the head was self-defence.
- Boy dies at Tropical Islands swimming pool (19 May 13)
- Two accused in neo-Nazi trial 'will talk' (17 May 13)
- Look-alike prisoner gets cell-mate's release (17 May 13)
The man entered the shop in Wetterau, Hesse, in July 2011 wearing a mask. He held an unloaded air gun and demanded money.
The woman went into a back room, where she had a hidden revolver, and shot him from a distance. The bullet hit the teen in the back of the head.
Prosecutors said they saw no case for self-defence, arguing that if it had been, she would have fired a warning shot or shot him in the leg.
But the judge at the Gießen regional court in Hesse said she could not have known that his gun was not loaded and that the woman was clearly affected by the incident.
“I was holding the weapon in my hand and suddenly it fired,” she told the judge, an incident that her defence called “purely accidental.” The court gave her a suspended sentence for failing to alert the emergency services quickly enough, and instead ringing her husband.
Initially the woman told the police that the robber's accomplice had shot him, which was found to be a lie.
DPA/The Local/jcw
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Social Democrats seek revival on 150th b-day
Germany's Social Democrats, trailing behind the conservatives in the polls just months ahead of the elections, are looking to relaunch themselves as they celebrate their 150th anniversary later this week. READ () »
New in German cinemas: 'Fast & Furious 6'
Find movies playing in English in Germany with The Local’s cinema guide. READ () »
Germans bathe easy in clear waters
German outdoor swimming spots are cleaner than ever, results from a European Commission survey showed on Tuesday. On the whole, the EU's water quality has, it said, significantly improved. READ () »
Spain and Germany fight youth employment
Germany has agreed to provide vocational training and jobs for young Spaniards starved of opportunities in their crisis-hit home country. READ () »
Justin Bieber's monkey becomes 'German'
Justin Bieber's pet monkey, which was seized by German customs in March, officially became German property this week after the Canadian pop star failed to claim the animal, officials said. READ () »
First bison born in wild 'for centuries'
A wild bison has been born in Germany for the first time in centuries. The lead female of a herd released from captivity in April gave birth to the calf on May 5th, it was revealed on Tuesday. READ () »
Conservatives demand East German symbol ban
Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU) called on Tuesday for symbols associated with the totalitarian socialist regime of former East Germany to be banned, in the same way that it is illegal to display Nazi memorabilia. READ () »
States to toughen laws on drunken cycling
German state interior ministers are hashing out a plan to lower the amount of alcohol cyclists can legally consume before getting on their bikes. The measures come as figures show one in 10 bike accidents are the result of drunk riders. READ () »
- 22/05 New in German cinemas: 'Fast & Furious 6' »
- 22/05 Justin Bieber's monkey becomes 'German' »
- 21/05 The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek dies at 74 »
- 20/05 20,000 Goths gather in Leipzig »
- 20/05 Pricey Reichstag visitor centre scrapped »
- 19/05 Did Merkel's politics hurt Germany at Eurovision? »
- 19/05 Wagner descendant slams composer »
- 18/05 Most Germans optimistic about the future »
- 18/05 Survey: Half of gays harassed in Germany »
- 17/05 No child support if dad is anonymous sperm donor »
- 22/05 Opposition to English at French unis is 'hypocrisy' »
- 22/05 IMF chief Lagarde faces French court grilling »
More news from France at thelocal.fr
More news from Norway at thelocal.no
- 22/05 Swedish 'serial killer' cleared of two murders »
- 22/05 Fires spread in third day of Stockholm riots »
More news from Sweden at thelocal.se
More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch
See all ads | Join the Marketplace
-
PsyShrink Munich
The Expat Psychologists in Munich, Frankfurt and worldwide -
Shiply Worldwide Ltd
Shiply the Online Transport Market Place -
Weiss Institut
Free yourself from Smoking addictions, Sugar craving and Alcohol addictions -
British Corner Shop
British Corner Shop - The online supermarket for expats -
Chambervelt Rooselain & Cie Ltd.
Insurance and financial planning for English speakers in Germany -
PsyShrink Frankfurt
The Expat Psychologists in Munich, Frankfurt and worldwide
858 jobs available
653 new jobs this week
87 new jobs today
- Account Manager
- Product Development Manager (f/m) / Manager (w/m) Produktentwicklung
- Event Marketing Project Coordinator (f/m)
- Biostatistiker/in freiberuflich
- FIELD SALES EXECUTIVE, GERMANY (M/F) (home office)
- MTS Customer System Test Engineer (f/m)
- Sales Manager (m/f) Salt Specialities
- Multilingual Administrators (m/f)
- Sustaining Engineer (f/m)
- Design Engineer (f/m)
- Apr/09 Touring Tempelhof – Europe’s Largest Historical Monument
- Apr/09 Spring in Berlin 2013 – Where, What Why and When!
- Mar/12 Living Like a Local – Tell us what you think and win a weekend in Berlin!
- Feb/04 Escaping the City – Our Recommended Suburban Getaways
- Feb/04 Berlin Tegel Airport Transfers – How to get into the City
Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your
style? Find a German sweetheart here.
Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather
section.
Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.
Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of
charge.
Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.
Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss
- Food trucks – meals on wheels
Small mobile restaurants are starting to catch on in Germany and they are often far more than your average snack wagons with Currywurst and Pommes. - “Preserve the proven, shape the new” – the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart
For more than thirty years, Helmuth Rilling shaped the international Bach Academy; now he is succeeded by Hans-Christoph Rademann. - ‘Open Mike’ – Fireworks with the Buddha
The Berlin ‘Open Mike’ entered this year its twentieth edition. - On the Stage, the Spoken Word Prevails
In January 2013 the annual meeting of the Dramaturgical Society took place in Munich; its theme: “Speaking on Stage – and about Theatre”... - The Magician of Images – Klaus Ensikat
With the technique of an Old Master and subtle humour, the award-winning graphic designer and illustrator Klaus Ensikat has for fifty years produced ingenious illustrations for literary classics and children’s books....
- Conference - Pioneers on Dual Training Abroad
Germany‘s system of dual training is one of the foundations of its economic strength. - The all-German final in Wembley
Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund are playing in the final of the Champions League at London’s Wembley Stadium. - German first feature film in Cannes
A directorial debut from Germany makes it to the competition “Un Certain Regard” at the famous film festival on the Côte d’Azur. - Traveling Germany: Europa-Park
Think theme parks:Roller coasters, colorful rides, entertainment, thrills. Think Germany: Europa-Park is the largest amusement park in the country, second in Europe only to Disneyland Paris. - Frankfurt – the digital hub
The Internet hub in Frankfurt am Main is the largest in the world and places Germany in a leading position in the digital world.
- Theatre festival between the Saar and the Mosel
The Festival Perspectives in the German-French region around Saarbrücken is staging European theatre, dance and music productions. - The European Year of Citizens
2013 is the European Year of Citizens. - Europe Day, Robert Schuman and Class 4a
Enthusiasm for the idea of Europe – in the 60th European Competition, schoolchildren from Germany show what this could look like. - Relief organizations
The portals presented here provide information on the help programs offered by different organizations.
- Bertelsmann Entrepreneurs Program
- Design Engineer - Turbomachinery
- Design Engineer Aerospace in Toulouse
- Design Feasibility Engineer / Craftsmanship Engineer (m/f)
- HUMAN RESOURCES Graduate Trainee Program BEYOND BORDERS
- Lead Engineer - Combustion Engineering
- Lead Engineer - Product Lifecycle Management
- Lead Stress Engineer - Combustor
- Lead Stress Engineer - Rotor
- Lead Stress Engineer - Structures
- 19/05 Car Boot Sale Herford
- 17/05 paid internship
- 17/05 Florida resident seeks job in baden Baden Germany
- 17/05 Berlin Writing Group
- 17/05 cheap car hire
- 15/05 Queen size bed & frame
- 10:04 Games Evening in Heidelberg
- 10:02 Deleting emails in Lotus Notes
- 10:01 How to find a responsive doctor for chronic pain
- 10:01 Need a new kitchen in Darmstadt
- 09:59 Working from home in Germany: pros and cons
- 09:57 Calling all video gamers
- 09:56 Annual Toytown Oktoberfest Party, 100 seats
- 09:52 Park + Ride locations and prices
- 09:43 FireWater Closet / Open Mic / Film Screening
- 09:43 Is learning 'der die das' impossible?
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
'Charming, old, beamed cottage for holiday let in Jesus Pobre, Alicante, Spain
www.littlehouseinspain.com/
Professional and qualified consultancy on all insurance and finance matters in Germany, Telephone: +49 2163 571 1740, Email: bg@albatross-assurance.com
www.albatross-assurance.com
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
Your comments about this article:
And I sooo do not agree with that ruling. If the woman already illegally had a gun, that makes her a worse criminal in my eyes than the robber.
And self defense my ass. She couldn't know that the robber had a fake gun, so why did she get hers and "accidentaly" shot him? Was her original plan to go out of the back room and shoot him when he was looking at her?
Oh, it's one of those guns with a mind of its own.
So this is probably a lie also:
¦quot;I was holding the weapon in my hand and suddenly it fired,¦quot;
Either way, she was right to defend herself.
fire a warning shot or shoot in the leg? are you nuts?? here in the states we shoot twice... once to bring the fool down and another to keep the fool down!! toy or not, he got what he deserved!
Yes, and "here in the states", you have actually believe this sort of juvenile rubbish, you have FAR too many weapons, and as someone once said, a space-age nation with a frontier mentality.
You have to look at these kind of incidents also as to who was the bigger threat? Isn't an 18yr old male robber with a gun a big threat to a 67 yr old woman? Isn't it reasonable that she was in fear for her life? Are 67 yr old women not allowed to defend themselves? Unless you have been in her shoes you cannot know the fear she was in. Also her statement about that the gun just fired is consistent with happens to even train law enforcement officers. Under the threat to life you are under a great deal of stress and in the moment it can kind effect memory. Officers many times don't realize how many times they fired in those events.
Also nothing in the article speaks to her familiarity of shooting. A revolver is a fairly simple weapon to operate. I'd be suprised if she had fired it more than once.
She, or rather her store, was just getting robbed. If I can get away from the robbers or just lose some wares which the insurance pays for, I sure as hell would not risk my life trying to take down a robber.
And the first time I fired a rifle, for me that thing also went of suddenly.
"Officers many times don't realize how many times they fired in those events"
Uhum, yes, US cops. One of them opens fire, they all shoot until the guns are empty. In a single "justified" shooting by cops on someone armed with merly a knife, US cops use up more bullets than all cops in the whole of Germany combined. And I wish I would be making this up.
Really? So, someone going about their business, trying to earn a living legally but who happens to own a firearm without the relevant permit is a worse criminal than someone who wears a mask to rob people at gunpoint. I don't think so - and neither do the courts. Armed robbery is clearly in a different league to owning a gun without a permit.