As of: February 19, 2024, 10:17 a.m
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The defendant in the trial for an alleged hostage-taking (l) waits with his lawyer Alexander Kist for the trial to begin.
© Uli Deck/dpa
A man accused of taking hostages in a Karlsruhe pharmacy has confessed to the crime.
According to his own words, he only committed it so he could see his ex-girlfriend again.
The money - he had demanded seven million euros - was not important to him, said the 21-year-old on Monday at the beginning of the second day of the trial in the Karlsruhe regional court.
Karlsruhe - The pharmacy happened to be the scene of the crime.
He actually wanted to rob a bank, but canceled the plan when the branch he had in mind was too full.
On the morning of the crime on March 10 last year, the defendant first drank alcohol at home, smoked a joint and then bought the blank gun and a cloth for later masking.
He then went to the bank, a district savings bank, for the planned robbery.
When there were too many people there, he walked around aimlessly.
He finally got to the pharmacy, entered the store and immediately shot, as he further admitted during his lengthy testimony.
The man is accused of taking hostages as well as attempted, particularly serious, predatory extortion and illegal possession of weapons.
Four witnesses were invited to the second day of the trial.
A verdict could be pronounced on February 29th (ref.: 7 KLs 331 Js 11431/23).
dpa