Process in Carinthia - Judge Sarcastically: "That Is Making a Very Good Impression on the Jurors Right Now"

They are accused of importing more than seven kilograms of heroin and more than two kilograms of cocaine from Slovenia to Carinthia and partially selling it here. The trial was adjourned, and if convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison.

Men in Pre-Trial Detention

Prosecutor Daniela Zupanc accused the first defendant, a 64-year-old from Klagenfurt, of ordering drugs weekly from a 69-year-old Slovenian and then partially consuming them himself and partially reselling them. A 40-year-old from Klagenfurt is accused of participating in the sale. The two older defendants have multiple prior convictions, while the third defendant is considered to have a clean record. All the defendants are in pre-trial detention.

The 64-year-old first defendant was an innkeeper and, according to the indictment, met the Slovenian drug dealer this way. It is alleged that up to 40 grams of heroin and 20 grams of cocaine were delivered per week. Over one and a half years, this amounted to 4.3 kilograms of heroin and 2.3 kilograms of cocaine. The innkeeper's defense attorney, Franz Serajnik, argued that the calculation could not be correct. The innkeeper himself claimed it was 600 to 700 grams, half of which was not sold but consumed together with the 40-year-old. He had consumed heroin daily until his arrest and went through cold withdrawal in pre-trial detention.

The Slovenian, a retiree, admitted to bringing a total of 1.1 kilograms of heroin and 200 grams of cocaine from Slovenia to Austria. He sold the drugs to the innkeeper and another buyer. The 40-year-old Carinthian said he only noticed that cigarettes were being traded in bulk. The Slovenian had procured these from Poland and then delivered them to the innkeeper. The other two defendants confirmed this. In total, the defendants are said to have generated around 770,000 euros from drug trafficking.

40-Year-Old with Debts

Since the 40-year-old has been addicted to drugs since his youth, he has significant financial difficulties and debts amounting to 34,000 euros to the first defendant. The latter even received a court execution order for part of the debt. "It sounds completely absurd that one can get an execution order for debts from drug deals. But for this order, you don't have to specify in court what exactly these debts arose from," explained Prosecutor Zupanc to the jury.

In court, the three defendants repeatedly contradicted themselves. Half a kilogram of cannabis herb, which the third defendant received from the first defendant, is said to have come from the Slovenian, according to his statement, which the Slovenian vehemently denied. "One of you three is lying," Judge Sabine Götz stated and further explained with a hefty dose of sarcasm: "This is making a very good impression on the jury." The trial was ultimately adjourned. Due to the large quantity, the defendants face one to 15 years in prison.

(APA/Red)

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