Zurich High Court: 16 years and clinic for mentally ill car thug
Published: Thursday, Oct 26th 2023, 18:02
Updated At: Thursday, Oct 26th 2023, 19:59
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The Zurich Cantonal Court has sentenced a 24-year-old man to a 16-year prison sentence for multiple attempted murders of two police officers and other offenses on Thursday. The sentence is suspended in favor of a stationary measure.
The verdict is not yet legally binding. It can be appealed to the Federal Court.
In October 2019, a Swiss man drove a stolen car through a police barricade in Winterthur, Zurich. He collided with a police officer, seriously injuring her. A second officer was able to jump out of the way just in time.
In March 2022, the District Court of Winterthur found the multiple-convicted young man guilty of multiple attempted murder, endangering life and other offenses. He was sentenced to 16 years and three months imprisonment, a fine and a fine.
Due to the accused suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, a stationary measure was ordered. For his benefit, the sentence of imprisonment was postponed.
The defense was unsuccessful.
The prosecutor requested confirmation of the initial verdict. The defense attorney pursued further action, pleading for five years of imprisonment due to negligent serious bodily injury. This plea, along with the request for a transfer to a maximum six-year measure for young adults, was unsuccessful.
The Supreme Court largely upheld the initial ruling. As the presiding judge explained in the oral ruling, on the day of the theft the accused wanted to avoid a police control and arrest "at any cost" with the stolen car.
Startling ruthlessness.
He veered out of the line of standing vehicles and attempted to escape across the sidewalk. Even when he saw the police officers, he did not slow down.
With "shocking unscrupulousness" and a reprehensible motive, the accused knowingly accepted the risk of running people over with his reckless maneuver. This is a clear case of eventual intent. That nobody died was purely a matter of luck. He used the car "as an actual weapon".
Clinic is the right choice.
The court also showed understanding for the mentally ill defendant, who has been in pre-trial detention for almost three years. During this time, the judge said, he had made good progress. The court had seen that he was making a lot of effort.
The judge said that an intensive therapy in a clinic - the inpatient measure - is the right thing for him. It lasts five years and can be extended as often as necessary. Discharge depends on the success of the treatment. "This is your way, make the best of it," said the judge. The goal must be to regain a foothold in life again.
Alternative would be penal enforcement.
The defense had requested a measure for young adults, however the court ruled that this was not an alternative as the requirements were not met. Aside from the stationary measure, the only option available was the normal penal execution.
The accused stated in his interrogation that he had the impression that the medications and therapies were helping to get the illness under control. Due to his progress, the clinic has already granted him relaxations. Thus, he is allowed to stay unsupervised in the surrounding area for several hours at a time. Additionally, he is allowed to leave the clinic unescorted once a week.
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