From the Internet phenomenon to the dock: The “Dragon Lord” occupied the court in Nuremberg once more on Wednesday. In the end, Rainer Winkler was sentenced to one year probation.
The as “dragon lord” known youtubers Rainer Winkler is on Wednesday from the district court Nürnberg sentenced to one year probation. The accused was guilty of, among other things, dangerous bodily harm and insult, said the presiding judge Axel Dunavs in the appeal hearing.
The court acquitted Winkler of the charges of hitting a man at his gate with a flashlight and hitting two medical students. The visitors ignored all requests to leave Winkler alone, he had no other way to defend himself.
The court found him guilty of punching a completely intoxicated man on his property (two months) and throwing a brick (four months). He was repeatedly given three months for insults and defamation of police officers. This resulted in a total sentence of one year.
Conditional probation
The probation comes with a number of conditions and instructions. If Winkler does not fulfill these, the probation can be revoked. He needs to contact media counseling or a helpline like Hate Aid, and with the help of a probation officer, he needs to find a therapist so he can strategize to deal with what the assessor has found to be a paranoid adjustment disorder. He also has to pay 2,500 euros to an initiative of parents of children with cancer.
The prosecutor had previously demanded two years and three months in prison for the 32-year-old, the defense attorney pleading for a light sentence. In his verdict, judge Axel Dunavs emphasized the special nature of the case: he sees a kind of “collective repression” in the dispute between the “dragon lord” and his opponents, which the legislature would not be familiar with.
“I want to change my life”
The district court Neustadt an der Aisch had already sentenced the video blogger to two years in prison without parole last October. Public prosecutor and defense had appealed once morest it.
In his closing remarks, Winkler said he hoped he would not have to go to prison. “I want to change my life and I’m showing it.” He’s done everything he can do. Winkler emphasized that he had been bullied all his life and did not choose the situation. “I’m constantly being attacked by thousands, hundreds of thousands.”
Prosecutor Julia Krell explained in her plea to judge Dunavs that the situation had not fundamentally changed even following the sale of his house and the loss of the pilgrimage site. Because Winkler continues to produce videos and bought a very conspicuous car, there will continue to be confrontations, and then on the open road, without Winkler being able to withdraw as he does at home.
Trial in Nuremberg: “Dragon Lord” in court
Krell quoted Winkler in his own words: “The dragon is quiet for a long time, but when it awakens it is fierce.” Winkler had committed eleven crimes under probation, it was only a matter of time before the next crime. His attacks had comparatively mild consequences, but that was only due to luck. She had asked for two years and three months.
Arrest before the court in Nuremberg: On the fringes of the trial once morest the “Dragon Lord” a witness is arrested. (Source: Lars Wienand/t-online)
Winkler’s defense attorney had spoken out in favor of a “moderate minimum penalty” and stated that Haider himself was responsible for the physical injuries. “Anyone who takes part in the Drachengame knows what the general conditions are like and that they can go wild.” The visitors should have known that there was a potential hit, so they went for it. The psychiatric expert Michael Wörthmüller found that Winkler had a significantly reduced ability to control.
One of the visitors even said explicitly “hit it, hit it”. This means that these attacks are a case of consent, and Winkler has not acted illegally. The focus of the allegations should therefore be cases of insult and defamation of police officers.
Prosecutor quotes “Dragon Lord” in court
The Youtuber has been arguing with his opponents for years: on the Internet and in the real world. In the past, they regularly appeared in front of his house in Middle Franconia in order to provoke him.
Curious scenes once more took place in front of the Nuremberg court on the edge of a trial of the “Dragon Lord”. Excitement arose when the first witness of the day later yelled in front of the building, insulted the officers and was eventually arrested. He injured a police officer.
