Erfurt/Karlsruhe (dpa/th) – The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has confirmed a judgment by the Erfurt Regional Court against an ex-policeman who permanently disfigured his former girlfriend’s face with knife cuts. The BGH rejected the man’s appeal against the verdict, as the court announced on Friday. The conviction of the accused to a term of imprisonment of seven years and nine months is therefore final (Az: 2 StR 481/21).

The Erfurt district court had found the man guilty of ambushing his former partner in Erfurt in August 2020 and initially beating her to the ground. He then inflicted several deep cuts on the woman’s face, head and arm.

The court had come to the conclusion that the defendant intended to permanently disfigure his former girlfriend. Due to the injury to the nerve of the victim’s right arm, the little finger and ring finger of the right hand are severely deformed. Due to the attack and her injuries, she is no longer able to continue working as a speech therapist.

The Federal Court of Justice determined that the district court had determined without legal error that the accused physically injured his victim in the course of a dispute a good three months before the crime. He also committed thefts in an electronics store and a hotel. He was also guilty of fraud because he not only stole from the hotel, but also failed to pay the bill that had accumulated there. The district court had sentenced the man to total imprisonment for intentionally causing serious bodily harm, bodily harm, fraud and theft.