Judgment pronounced: three years in prison for Schuhbeck!
Judge gives tough reasoning
Created: 10/27/2022, 6:45 p.m
By: Lucas Sauter-Orengo, Andreas Thieme
The verdict on Alfons Schuhbeck was announced in Munich.
The star chef was accused of tax evasion, and he recently made a confession himself.
Star chef Schuhbeck was tried for tax evasion in the millions.
The celebrity chef has been behind bars for three years and two months.
This ticker is continuously updated.
Judgment pronounced: jail for Schuhbeck!
Judge shows no mercy
Update from 3:01 p.m .:
The verdict in the Alfons Schuhbeck trial has been pronounced:
three years and two months without probation
, judge Andrea Wagner announced in room 134. For Wagner, the confessions had flaws, it was “not a normal gastro case”.
It is tax evasion over a very long period of time and on a significant scale.
Andrea Wagner also speaks of "high criminal energy", he himself is to blame for the ruins of his life.
"Reaching into the cash register is not a commercial error, but a criminal offence," Wagner continued.
Schuhbeck also "didn't make any compensation for damages".
For accomplice Jürgen W. the verdict is one year probation.
This ends the negotiation.
Alfons Schuhbeck has been behind bars for three years and two months.
© IMAGO/Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON
Update from 2:22 p.m .: Anxious
moments in the Palace of Justice.
At the moment Alfons Schuhbeck is waiting in the hallway next to room 134, which is locked at the moment.
Media representatives and spectators will be on the ground floor until it resumes at 3 p.m.
Alfons Schuhbeck verdict will be announced soon - star chef looks stricken
Explosive: As already reported, it also became clear during the negotiations that the process was a heavy burden for the star chef.
His defense attorneys pointed this out again in the process.
Photos show Schuhbeck clearly depressed - like after a lost battle.
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The judgment in the trial of Alfons Schuhbeck is expected today in Munich.
© Alfons Schuhbeck stands before the start of the trial as a defendant next to his lawyer Sascha König in the courtroom of the Munich I Regional Court
Schuhbeck verdict expected soon: Prosecutor calls for four years in prison
Update from 1.49 p.m .:
Now the defender of the co-defendant Jürgen W speaks: “The trial would have “taken a different course without Jürgen W.’s confession”, says Barbara Kaniuka.
Jürgen W. is held liable for part of Schuhbeck's tax liability, which amounts to a total of over one million euros, which he also has to pay back.
They are sums that he will never be able to raise in his life," it says, since Jürgen W. is about to retire.
Then Alfons Schuhbeck has the last word: "I know that what I did was wrong.
Can only try today to repair the damage and take responsibility.”
I know what I did was wrong.
Alphonse Schuhbeck
The verdict is expected at 3 p.m.
Update from 1:29 p.m .:
Now the defenders König and Gotzens speak.
"It was not clear exactly how high the evaded amount was, the amounts from the Südtiroler Stuben were only estimated.
Mr. Schuhbeck has drawn a line and assumed responsibility.
He has been returning to tax honesty for years," it says in room 134. And further: "The money for compensation for damage should be received in the morning, which did not happen.
An investor worth millions jumped out at short notice.” The defenders' demand: a “suspendable sentence”.
Defender Gotzens reminds of the life's work of the 73-year-old: "An incomparable champion" Schuhbeck has always only "built up", but "forgotten" the commercial side.
Schuhbeck verdict expected soon: showdown in Munich - prosecutor calls for four years in prison
Update from 1.10 p.m .:
Alfons Schuhbeck looks sober in room 134, as if he had given up.
The lawyers explain that compensation for damage would not have worked.
A German investor had come forward.
He would have agreed to assume all debts.
However, not a single one of the 50 payment promises was kept, it is said.
Judge Andrea Wagner in the courtroom of the Munich Regional Court.
© Matthias Balk/dpa +++ dpa picture radio +++
Schuhbeck judgment expected: "Very serious tax evasion"
Now the pleadings are read out.
The prosecutor begins and speaks of "very serious tax evasion." Schuhbeck had cooperated with the authorities, there were a total of 21 cases of evasion.
She rates the confession as “tactically motivated”.
The very long period of time and the high amounts speak against him.
The case has high criminal energy.
The prosecutor speaks of a "professional, planned approach".
Each of the 21 cases could be punished with 6 months to 10 years.
The prosecutor demands four years and two months in prison for Schuhbeck.
Update from 12:57 p.m.:
“If your client remembers how much he took out every day, that would help.
Otherwise we have to estimate it," said the judge before the break.
Alfons Schuhbeck had almost an hour and a half to think about it during the lunch break.
Finally, at 12:50 p.m., he stated: “Have heard the concerns of my lawyers this morning, but I want to take full responsibility.
That's why I've asked my lawyers to drop the concerns."
Schuhbeck verdict expected soon - employee letter read out: "Please be lenient"
Then, surprisingly, a letter from Schuhbeck's employees was read from the South Tyrolean Stubn.
It says: "Please be gentle.
We got to know Alfons Schuhbeck as a tough dog, after all his products have the highest quality standards.
On the other hand, we also learned to appreciate him as a person because he showed us how the production processes could be improved.
He always had an open ear for us.
We don't want to lose our Alfons."
Alfons Schuhbeck in the district court of Munich I. © Matthias Balk/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++
Update from 12.45 p.m .:
Alfons Schuhbeck is back in the hall, the negotiation is continuing at any moment.
Then the celebrity chef should read out another explanation.
It can be assumed that the verdict will be pronounced shortly.
Schuhbeck is threatened with jail today: violent argument in the courtroom – verdict expected shortly
Update from 11:52 a.m .:
Alfons Schuhbeck has withdrawn with his defenders at the moment to sort the numbers presented and the situation again.
Afterwards we continue in room 134, where the judgment of judge Dr.
Andrea Wagner is expected.
Update from 11:34 a.m .:
A judgment on Thursday is unrealistic for the defenders of Schuhbeck.
"With everything we still have on the program today, a judgment today is unrealistic." Judge Wagner, however, sees the situation completely differently and then says: "Well, we don't have anything else on the program." It should therefore be clear: According to the current state of affairs, the verdict for Alfons Schuhbeck will be pronounced today.
Because of another event, the hall has to be empty by 3 p.m. today.
A verdict can therefore be expected around noon.
Schuhbeck judgment live: Judge Wagner speaks the word of power
Update from 11:03 a.m .:
Judge Dr.
Andrea Wagner now speaks a word of power: "Even with individual corrections, we see considerable amounts that are missing from the balance sheets almost every day." It's still about the South Tyrolean Stubn.
In some cases, his 6,000 euros in income per day was not explained, "We spent a whole day with these numbers," Wagner continued.
On average, Schuhbeck is said to have forged six bills a day - mostly at the weekend.
The chances of a mild verdict do not seem to increase for Schuhbeck in these moments.
Update from 10.30 a.m .:
A heated argument has now broken out in the courtroom.
A witness, at that time a sommelier in the "Südtiroler Stubn", had explained the billing processes and bookings in the restaurant and explained all processes and figures.
He also reports that Schuhbeck is said to have discounted a number of bills for regular guests by up to 30 percent.
The judge then recalculated the sums in the hall, there were a total of 304 gaps in around 2010. In 137 days, six or more invoices would have been missing.
Schuhbeck's defense attorneys then protested: "Mathematically, that's not correct," according to the wording.
Alfons Schuhbeck comes before the trial as a defendant with his lawyers Sascha König (2nd from right) and Markus Gotzens (l) in the courtroom in the Munich Regional Court I © Photo: Matthias Balk/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++
Schuhbeck comes into the room with a blue jacket and sneakers - the star chef is threatened with jail
Update from 9.40
a.m .: At 8.57 a.m. Alfons Schuhbeck entered the fully occupied room 134 of the Palace of Justice in a blue jacket and sneakers.
A total of 60 spectators and media representatives are following the criminal trial live in Munich today.
At the beginning of this morning, Schuhbeck stands between his lawyers Markus Gotzens and Sascha König for a few minutes, facing the photographers and video cameras.
The hearing then begins at 9:02 a.m.
First report from October 27, 2022
Munich – It's getting serious for Alfons Schuhbeck.
Today, Thursday, October 27th, it will be decided whether the star chef has to go behind bars for tax evasion.
Most recently, the TV chef first made a partial confession, then a full confession.
"He is a cook with heart and soul, but not a good businessman," said the 73-year-old about himself before the Munich I Regional Court, which will make the judgment today.
Alfons Schuhbeck: Judgment expected in Munich today - imprisonment threatened
Schuhbeck is accused of using a computer program to smuggle revenue past the tax office.
It is about more than 2.3 million euros in taxes, which the star chef is said to have evaded between 2009 and 2016 in the "Orlando" and the "Südtiroler Stuben".
The probability that Alfons Schuhbeck will be convicted is not low.
In 2012, the Federal Court of Justice ruled that tax evasion of one million euros or more was punishable by imprisonment without probation.
Star chef Alfons Schuhbeck on his way to the courtroom.
© Sigi Jantz
Judgment for Alfons Schuhbeck: Stark-Koch faces imprisonment
In the event of a conviction, Schuhbeck would probably have to go to Landsberg prison, which is intended for first-time offenders.
Uli Hoeneß was also there.
The courtroom in Munich is filled to the last seat, and the verdict is expected at noon.
We will keep you informed of all developments here.