As of: March 7, 2024, 7:38 p.m
By: Stefan Aigner
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The arsenal was huge, but the danger was probably low.
In front of the Regensburg district court, a gun nut got away with a black eye again.
Regensburg - “It's embarrassing for me,” says the man with the little tummy, bald head and glasses when judge Cornelia Blankenhorn asks him (not the only time) why he's sitting here again.
Here – in the dock of the Regensburg district court.
And this time the 63-year-old, family man and house builder is even threatened with prison.
Investigators found these weapons in an attic in Regensburg in November 2021.
© Photo: Police Upper Palatinate
“Really endless”: attic full of weapons, ammunition and small parts
On November 11, 2021, four Regensburg police officers made a spectacular find in the mechanical engineering technician's attic in the tranquil Regensburg district of Keilberg: several pistols, revolvers and rifles, around 80 bayonets, eleven daggers, sabers and swords, a few rounds of various ammunition as well as countless shell casings and Small parts.
“It was really endless,” says one of the police officers who were on site at the time.
The problem: The owner of this arsenal is not allowed to own any weapons.
This is not the first time that the multiple shooting king has been in court.
Repeat offender: Huge arsenal of weapons confiscated once
In 2015 he was sentenced to a suspended sentence of one and a half years.
Also because of a weapon found in his house.
Two military weapons, 20 firearms, mostly functional, ammunition and two banned switchblades had previously been confiscated from him.
The city of Regensburg gave the man a comprehensive ban on purchasing and owning weapons, even those that do not actually require a permit.
The father of two adult sons adhered well to it until his probation period expired in 2017.
But from January 2018 it was over.
He purchased a parts set for an MP 40 submachine gun via an Internet platform, and a few months later a housing part for a P08 Parabellum pistol.
This was followed by an original parts set for an MG 15, a complete MG 15, sights, a revolver...
Defendant confesses - is it enough for probation?
The police became aware of the Regensburg man rather casually; his name also came up on the sidelines of investigations against a Lübeck arms dealer.
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Judge Blankenhorn almost seems a little stunned.
One could actually expect that such a suspended sentence would be enough of a warning for a man who lives in socially stable circumstances, she says.
She wants to know how it could be that he is still here again.
The defendant does not deny.
He also agrees to the confiscation of his weapons - estimated value at 22,000 euros - without compensation.
But he can't really explain a behavior.
Extreme passion for collecting: locomotives, toy cars - and weapons
He just has a passion for collecting, he says.
Locomotives, cameras, toy cars.
Things have to be cheap and rare.
“It will only be interesting when I can fix it up again.” This also applies to weapons.
It was only his lawyer Tom Wimmer who made him aware of the seriousness of the situation - that he could actually go to prison.
Judge Blankenhorn can at least identify a “certain purification”.
Unlike the first misstep, this time the man did not restore the weapons to full working order.
But is that enough to let him get away with a suspended sentence again?
Defendant digresses: Uncle and machine gun “have the same career”
The defendant keeps digressing.
Sometimes he really goes into raptures.
He talks about his uncle.
He was a pilot in the Second World War and flew a dive bomber.
And that reminds him of the MG15.
This machine gun was made for use in the Stuka and, like the uncle in question, had to leave the plane and fight on the ground when the fuel ran out.
Shortly before the end of the war, the uncle was killed and the machine gun that was found rusting in the ground had “practically the same history.”
Defendant raves about weapons: “You can read them like books.”
According to his own words, the defendant discovered his passion for sharp weapons at the age of 13.
Back then, in the sixth grade, a teacher told us how two prisoners in the Straubing prison had built such a weapon out of pipes and matches in order to escape.
“The interest was piqued.” And for a “researcher,” such old weapons are “incredibly interesting.”
It is like discovering “a temple in Egypt”.
“Weapons can be read like books.”
Police officer about the defendant: “I didn’t have the impression that he posed a danger.”
Yes, he also noticed the man's “extremely strong passion for collecting weapons,” reports the police officer interviewed as a witness.
He literally philosophized about it.
“I didn’t have the impression that he posed any danger.”
In fact, the man was “extremely cooperative” after initially suffering a small fainting attack under the impression of the impending search.
And in retrospect it turned out that the firearms weren't really functional either.
(By the way: Our Regensburg newsletter regularly informs you about all the important stories from the world heritage city and the Upper Palatinate. Sign up here.)
Public prosecutor's office about the defendant: "Doesn't necessarily belong in prison."
Even public prosecutor Dr.
Against the background of all this, Kerstin Seewald comes to the conclusion that the defendant “doesn’t necessarily belong in prison”.
She is calling for a prison sentence of two years, but this should be suspended for five (not the usual two) years.
The court largely follows this, but in view of the long duration of the proceedings, it falls short of the public prosecutor's demands by a month.
Probation period: four years.
“On the verge of addiction”: Man has to attend counseling sessions
“You show a certain recognition of guilt and remorse,” said Judge Blankenhorn in her verdict.
Overall, she “didn’t get a bad impression” of the defendant.
“They didn’t know what to do with their passion for collecting.”
Because it is at least “on the border of addiction,” the man has to attend several counseling sessions at Caritas, and he is also obliged to pay 5,000 euros to charitable organizations.
Instead of collecting weapons: the defendant now wants to prepare the boat
“When I was presented with the charges, I wasn't at all sure whether we could end up in the probationable area here,” says Cornelia Blankenhorn to the delinquent's conscience.
But he doesn't have to appear in court again for something like that.
“Then it will be dark.”
While still in the courtroom, the defendant has his lawyer declare his waiver of legal action and thereby accepts the verdict.
He is in good spirits that he has overcome his passion for weapons and will no longer relapse.
His wife and sons would support him.
He also picked up a new hobby.
“I have an old boat now that I’m fixing up.”
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