Trial in Uster ZH 28-year-old allegedly stabbed man to death after trivial argument

On Thursday, a 30-year-old Swiss man will stand trial for intentional homicide at Uster District Court. He is accused of killing a man with nine stab wounds.

Keystone-SDA

04.07.2024, 11:44

04.07.2024, 11:46

SDA

In August 2022, a 28-year-old Swiss man allegedly stabbed a man of the same age to death after a birthday party in a bar in Uster ZH. The fatal knife attack in a parking lot was preceded by a trivial argument about a seat in the car for the drive home. Today, Thursday, the accused must answer to the Uster district court.

According to the indictment, the then 28-year-old man from Zurich got into the car of the later victim after visiting a bar in Uster in the early hours of November 27, 2022. The latter made it clear to him that he could not ride along because the car was already full without him.

After several requests, he reluctantly got out and loudly insulted the owner of the car. After walking a few meters away from the car, he threw a bottle at the car, which was still in the parking lot.

Public prosecutor demands long prison sentence

This led to a brief scuffle between the two men, during which the car owner hit the accused once in the face with his fist. The latter then pulled out a knife he was carrying and, according to the indictment, stabbed his opponent eight times. One stab - probably the first, according to the indictment - severed the carotid artery.

The victim died in the parking lot despite resuscitation attempts by rescue workers. Passers-by held back the running stabber until the police arrived.

The accused claimed self-defense on Thursday. "I panicked and was scared to death," said the accused. The later victim had been sitting on him and had not stopped hitting him. He then reached for the knife.

He has been in prison since the crime. The public prosecutor's office charged him with intentional homicide and requested a prison sentence of 18 years. The presumption of innocence applies.