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The 39-year-old defendant in court: separated, then poisoned
Photo: Daniel Karmann / dpa
Did he want to kill his wife - or just keep her quiet over the weekend with a prepared cinnamon roll?
The Nuremberg-Fürth regional court has now decided on this question and sentenced the 39-year-old defendant to six years and three months in prison for attempted murder.
The 19th criminal chamber ruled that he was guilty of attempted murder in unity with dangerous bodily harm.
In addition, violations of the Narcotics Act were included in the punishment.
In addition to imprisonment, he has to go to rehab.
Mother-in-law also ate some of the pastries and had to go to the intensive care unit
The man had brought the poisoned pastries for his 41-year-old wife.
The wife survived the bite of the cinnamon bun last November, but had to be treated in hospital for several days.
She had suffered from speech disorders, paralysis and confusion, according to the charges.
Her mother, who ate the rest of the cinnamon bun two days later, was even worse off.
She had to be intubated and artificially ventilated in the intensive care unit.
The confessing man said he had mixed the sleeping pill Etizolam in high doses into the filling of the cinnamon roll.
According to his information at the beginning of the process, he wanted to incapacitate his wife temporarily - so that he could spend time with his son.
He had given the cinnamon bun to his separated wife when he was about to pick up the son.
The defense had considered a conviction for dangerous bodily harm sufficient because there was no intention to kill.
The prosecution pleaded against attempted murder - and demanded a prison sentence of nine years.
The chamber agreed with the prosecution's arguments and affirmed an intention to murder - also because the man subsequently left his wife alone.
However, they set a lower sentence than the prosecution requested.
apr / dpa / AFP