Three Albanians have been sentenced to prison by a court in Austria for the theft of 1.5 million euros.
According to foreign media, two of the convicted are originally from Kosovo. It is learned that one of them, 58 years old, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, after being accused of two attempted murders and illegal possession of weapons. Meanwhile, the two Albanians from Kosovo have been sentenced to four years in prison each, decisions that have now become final.
The incident took place about a year ago, in the apartment of a couple in Amstetten. The perpetrators had gone there with the belief that the house contained money, but the amount was not there. An elderly woman was in the apartment, which surprised the robbers.
Despite this, they continued with their plan. One of them held the woman under control, while the other two searched the apartment for money and valuables. The robbery plan was interrupted by the doorbell ringing, as two police officers arrived at the apartment.
One of the perpetrators was involved in a shootout with officers. He claimed to have only fired into the air, but gunpowder traces and a bullet hole in a tree indicated that the weapon was aimed at the officers.
The 58-year-old was arrested along with his accomplice, while the third managed to escape. However, the police arrested him three days later. During the arrest, the police found a radio communication device, duct tape and vehicle license plates in his sports bag.
The prosecution considered these items as evidence that the robbery was carefully planned. According to the indictment, the duct tape could have been used to tie up people who would be in the apartment.
During court hearings, all three defendants admitted to the robbery charges.
However, defense lawyers argued that their clients had no intention of using violence against the pensioner. According to the defense, the pistol one of them was carrying was not loaded and the robbers left empty-handed, having failed to take the money.
During the robbery, the pensioner was threatened with an iron bar and plastic ties. After the incident, she suffered serious psychological consequences, including post-traumatic stress disorder. As a result, the court decided to award the owner of the apartment 7,050 euros in damages.
Meanwhile, the two police officers who were shot will each receive 5,000 euros for the consequences and psychological burden caused by the incident. The money seized from the three Albanians, in the total amount of 8,500 euros, will also be used to pay the damages.