He was also admitted to a forensic therapeutic center. The defendant is said to have seriously injured the victim with numerous stabs and was found guilty of attempted murder, among other things. The judgment is not final.
The accused, who was born in Chechnya, is said to have “suddenly” stabbed the taxi driver from behind with a folding knife in the early hours of the morning on September 11, 2023 while driving. The then 49-year-old then jumped out of the vehicle and held the door closed to prevent the attacker from getting out. The 28-year-old left the car on the other side and a fight ensued behind the car. The defendant is said to have pulled out a Stanley knife.
“I thought I was dying”
The driver then made it back into the car and drove off. The 28-year-old is said to have continued stabbing through the open window. The car left the road and came to rest on its side in the ditch. The accused is said to have run following him and sprayed the Turkish-born driver once more with pepper spray. The defendant then climbed into the car and stole the driver’s backpack, which contained, among other things, cigarettes and a can of drinks. The victim was able to press the emergency call button and was left covered in blood. “I thought I was dying,” the man said. Then he lost consciousness. The seriously injured 49-year-old was taken to a Vienna hospital.
The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to all charges during the jury trial. On the night of the crime, he packed two knives, pepper spray, brass knuckles and a hand drill in a bag and left the apartment, he said. On the way home from a walk in the forest in Mödling he decided to rob a taxi driver.
Combined personality disorder
During the drive from Mödling to Breitenfurt, he first talked to the chauffeur, then “I took out a knife and stabbed him a few times from behind,” said the 28-year-old, describing the beginning of the attack: “I mightn’t control myself.” When the driver was finally seriously injured in the car and the defendant heard sirens, he ran away: “I thought he was already dead.” His cell phone was left in the car. The 28-year-old from Vienna – his nationality is unclear – was arrested in Mödling two days following the crime. After repeated inquiries on Tuesday, he cited a lack of money as the motive.
According to a report by psychiatrist Manfred Walzl, the defendant suffers from a combined personality disorder but is sane. There is a risk of renewed acts, including murder.
35 stab and cut wounds
According to expert Wolfgang Denk, the taxi driver suffered around 35 stab and cut wounds. According to the representative of the private party, the victim is still suffering from the psychological and physical consequences of the attack. He will no longer be able to practice his job. According to Walzl, the victim suffers from an adjustment disorder.
The 28-year-old was also found guilty in the jury trial of aggravated robbery, property damage and an offense under the Weapons Act. The victim was awarded 14,722 euros. The attempt and the confession had a mitigating effect on the sentencing. What made things aggravating, among other things, was the “extremely brutal and insidious approach,” said presiding judge Birgit Borns. The public prosecutor declined to appeal. The defense made no statement. The judgment is therefore not legally binding.
