Trial in Wallenhorst: Verdict in Mother's Killing
A 46-year-old man is accused of stabbing his wife to death in February. The prosecution is seeking a life sentence; the defence is seeking eight years.
Prosecutor Seeks Life Sentence
According to ndr.de, a verdict could soon be handed down in the case of a mother killed in Wallenhorst at the Osnabrück regional court. The prosecutor classified the act as murder and sought a life sentence for the 46-year-old defendant. The man admitted in court to killing his wife in August and said he had stabbed her in a fit of rage.
The man described the act as a spontaneous reaction to the broken relationship and his partner's accusations. However, the prosecution saw intent and treachery. According to the prosecutor, the 39-year-old woman was still in her nightclothes when she was making sandwiches and brewing coffee on the morning of the incident. The husband then deliberately lured her into another room.
The woman had no reason to expect the attack at any point and was defenceless. The prosecutor argued that the defendant had exploited her defencelessness and deliberately attacked her from behind.
Defence Seeks Manslaughter Conviction
The man's defence counsel pleaded for a manslaughter conviction and sought a prison sentence of no more than eight years. She particularly disputed the charge of treachery and attempted to demonstrate in court with a homemade knife that her client had attacked the woman from the front, not from behind. The defence counsel pointed to the couple's difficult relationship and described the altercation on the morning of the crime as the trigger for a spontaneous act.
Background
The 39-year-old mother of triplets died on 12 February. She was discovered in her house with severe injuries. Attempts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful. The case had caused considerable shock in the region. The Halen rifle club organised donations for the surviving children.
Source: Google News DE — Crime (de)