A Ukrainian who stated that he was a financier as a profession has been sentenced by the Vienna Criminal Court. On March 11, the man was with his family in a synagogue, where he is said to have given plenty of alcohol. When he returned to the apartment at 2 a.m., he found that there had been a break-in. A bag with $30,000 is said to have been stolen. After packing up his belongings, he “just wanted to get away” with his Mercedes. He parked in a parking garage on Gonzagagasse.
Because he did not have the necessary cash with him to pay for the five-euro parking ticket, he threatened a youth (17) with a knife. He forced him to pay for his parking ticket. But the youngster couldn’t pay either. “I only had large bills with me,” he said. Other young people who happened to come by and parked in the parking garage wanted to help. The perpetrator then pulled out his knife, which he “usually uses to cut apples” and held it to the youth’s body. The guy, who got the impression that the Ukrainian was drugged because of dilated pupils, paid for the ticket. The accused later admitted to having drunk three to four glasses of whisky.
Due to the war in Ukraine, male citizens are generally not allowed to leave the country. The accused had stated that he was suffering from heart disease and was therefore unable to defend himself. He was allowed to left Ukraine with his family. With his considerable cash fortune and his family, he made his way to Austria. He lived in his car for a week before finding refuge in an apartment in downtown Vienna. The man was sentenced to nine months, one of which was mandatory. The judgment is already final. Because the fugitive had already served the unconditional part of his sentence in pre-trial detention, he was released.
