Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) – A 55-year-old resident of a Frankfurt homeless shelter was sentenced to two years’ probation on Monday by the Frankfurt Regional Court for a knife attack on a roommate. The man had inflicted cuts on his victim’s face. The court assumed dangerous bodily harm and thus a lack of intent to kill. The original charge was attempted murder. The judgment is not yet final (file number 3590 Js 251420/21).

There had been repeated arguments between the two residents before the crime in October last year because of noise pollution and similar trifles. So far, however, the aggression had only come from the 20-year-old. In his own words, the defendant finally wanted to “teach a lesson” to his annoying neighbor. He did not think of a possible death of the opponent.

The criminal chamber assessed the aggressive behavior of the victim as a mitigating sentence and ruled out a homicide. The man is now showing a “positive prognosis” again, so that the suspension of the sentence on probation is justifiable, it said. Prosecutors had asked for three and a half years in prison.