Conviction in Vorarlberg: gun enthusiast threatens neighbour with ammunition box at fence
A 54-year-old gun enthusiast from Vorarlberg was convicted at Feldkirch Regional Court of making dangerous threats. The sentence: €12,000 partly suspended.
Decades-old neighbourhood dispute ends in court in Feldkirch
Google News AT — Crime (de) reports on a neighbourhood conflict in Vorarlberg that escalated after 25 years and was heard at Feldkirch Regional Court on Thursday.
At the centre: a 54-year-old gun lover and his 57-year-old neighbour who have not been able to stand each other for a quarter-century. At the end of March, the neighbour found an empty ammunition box for a Magnum-357 revolver at their shared boundary fence. The following day, the defendant allegedly confronted the neighbour at the mesh fence and threatened him, saying: "You won't see next spring anymore." The threatened neighbour subsequently filed a report with police.
The defendant's explanation
In court, the 54-year-old appeared composed. He had used the ammunition box shortly before when shooting with colleagues; having left it on his workbench, he had simply repurposed it as a note sheet for the fence construction. The private party's representative was sceptical: "Do you not have a normal piece of paper?" The defendant shrugged his shoulders. He also emphasised that he got on well with all other neighbours — he even served as an unofficial caretaker for the settlement and held several apartment keys. Only with "the property manager" had there been problems for years.
Petty quarrel over house number and property boundary
The concrete point of dispute is the neighbour's house number: one dismantles it, the other screws it back on again. The background is an unresolved ownership dispute over the course of the fence line. Both parties claim the right to attach the house number to the boundary post.
As to why the ammunition box ended up on this disputed plot of land, the defendant told the court: "I did not give it any thought." When questioned by police, he had stated only that he wanted to annoy the neighbour a little.
Judge convinced of guilt
Judge Martin Mitteregger did not believe the defendant's story about the note sheet: "That was a nice try, but not credible." The message at the property boundary had been unmistakeable: "I have a weapon, here is the packaging."
Conviction: €12,000, of which €4,000 immediately due
The proceedings ended with a conviction for dangerous threats. The sentence amounts to €12,000 partly suspended, of which €4,000 must be paid immediately. Mitteregger noted that a full confession would have made a diversion possible. The defendant requested time to consider; the prosecutor made no statement. The verdict is therefore not yet final — the fence dispute could thus proceed to another round.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)