Gießen (dpa/lhe) – In the trial against a retired police officer for manslaughter, the verdict is expected on Wednesday (10 a.m.) at the Gießen Regional Court. The accused is said to have stabbed a man during a dispute about a drone flight in Wettenberg.
At the beginning of the trial, the 71-year-old pleaded self-defense. Fearing for his life, he made a defensive movement with his pocket knife, and the 55-year-old ran into his knife. Prosecutors and defense both pleaded for acquittal, they also saw a self-defense situation.
In August 2020, the accused had let a drone fly up in Wettenberg in central Hesse. He got into an argument with a man who feared the aircraft would disturb horses on his property. The verbal argument escalated into a physical one. When the subsequent victim, one of the man’s companions, arrived, the accused fatally wounded him with a knife.
The lawyer for the victim’s family, acting as a co-plaintiff, sought a manslaughter conviction. The Gießen public prosecutor had initially dropped the case against the German because, in their view, a situation of self-defence could not be ruled out. The Frankfurt Higher Regional Court saw things differently and ordered the court hearing.