The trigger for the situation was a shortfall of about 900 euros in the safe where the daily takings of the supermarket branch were kept. Suspicion apparently fell on the 31-year-old, who might have taken the money on her last working day before being transferred to another branch.

Defendant in Trial Over Conflict Among Colleagues in Vienna Supermarket Not Confessing

When she was called on January 9, 2025, summoned to her "old" branch, and confronted with the suspicion, she denied the allegations and subsequently contacted her boyfriend. He arrived shortly after, enraged, and confronted the deputy store manager with what he considered unjustified accusations against his girlfriend. According to the indictment, he allegedly brandished a Stanley knife after the 31-year-old called out, "Honey, there he is!" The 27-year-old was allegedly demanded, with the knife held against him, to admit he had taken the money from the safe.

"I was already a bit annoyed with him because she cried so often because of him," the defendant told the court. For weeks, the younger man had been harassing his girlfriend: "She suffers from it. He has this attitude that women have nothing to say." He and his partner assumed the 27-year-old was behind the theft suspicion, which was far-fetched: "There was never a euro missing in any store she ever worked at." He did have a Stanley knife with him, as he needed it "to cut cables" as an electrician. However, he did not threaten with it. Her former colleague - the defendant now works permanently in another branch - might have been afraid of her partner because he "speaks in a rushed manner," the 31-year-old said: "He has the problem that he easily runs out of breath. When he talks, even from his facial expression, someone might think he's angry. But we can't help how we look and how loud our voices are."

Trial Over Conflict Among Colleagues in Vienna Supermarket: Witness Entangled in Contradictions

The 27-year-old claimed as a witness that he "felt the knife on my stomach." However, he entangled himself in contradictions during his questioning and significantly deviated from his original statements. It also became apparent that he still harbors ill feelings towards the ex-colleague: "She didn't do the job properly. She once didn't stock the goods. She did nothing for seven hours." In the end, the accused couple was acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The prosecutor initially gave no explanation for this. Therefore, the acquittals are not legally binding. Regarding the missing amount of money, no investigation is currently pending with the public prosecutor's office.

(APA/Red)

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