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Defendant in the Šaulić case: More than three years in prison
Photo: Guido Kirchner / dpa
A 37-year-old has been sentenced to three years and three months in prison for the accidental death of Serbian pop star Šaban Šaulić and his keyboardist Mirsad Kerić.
The district court in Gütersloh sentenced the man to this prison sentence, among other things, for negligent manslaughter in two cases and negligent bodily harm in one case.
However, the man who confessed should be released from three months because of the long duration of the proceedings and his time in custody.
The verdict is not yet legally binding.
With the verdict, the court is one month above the demand of the public prosecutor.
The joint plaintiffs had asked for up to four years in prison.
Driving under the influence of alcohol
According to the court, the 37-year-old drove in February 2019 under the influence of alcohol and drugs at a speed that was significantly too high in a construction site area on Autobahn 2 near Gütersloh.
He drove into the musicians' vehicle in the twilight, but with good visibility, at at least 156 kilometers per hour.
Šaulić and Kerić, aged 67 and 43, died in hospital and a third man was seriously injured.
During the trial, the convict left open why he took the car of an acquaintance without a valid driver's license and how the trip came about.
ptz/dpa