Appeal goes wrong Man sicced hitman on his ex - now his sentence has doubled
A man who allegedly planned a contract killing of his ex-partner on the Darknet has been sentenced to eleven years in prison by the Zurich High Court. The court called it a "diabolical plan". What remains is a woman and her sons in a difficult situation.
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- The Zurich High Court has sentenced Karl F. to 11 years in prison for attempted incitement to murder his ex-partner. This was a significant increase on the previous sentence of five years.
- According to the prosecution, F. had hired a hitman on the darknet and paid around 22,000 francs to have his ex-partner killed. The defense spoke of a hacker attack and demanded an acquittal.
- The judges described the crime as "insidious" and rejected the theories of exoneration as implausible.
On Thursday morning, April 30, the sun shines through the large windows of the Zurich High Court. The rays illuminate the wooden room. A splash of color stands out: a white shirt on the dock. Karl F.* sits in his chair and waits for the judge to open the trial. 30 spectators whisper quietly behind him.
The case being heard on appeal resembles a Hollywood movie. F. is said to have hired a hitman to kill his ex-partner. This is said to have taken place in 2023 in Zurich's Säuliamt district.
Just over a year ago, the district court of Affoltern am Albis sentenced him to 5 years in prison. Following an appeal by the accused and later also by the public prosecutor's office, the High Court is now hearing the Karl F. case again.
What happened
Karl F. allegedly tried to set a contract killer on his ex-partner Regula M.*. The couple were together from 2010 to 2016 and have two children. After the separation, the dispute over custody and maintenance escalated.
The accused lost the custody dispute and was ultimately only allowed to see his children with them. Several court proceedings and convictions for deprivation of liberty (2016) and neglect of maintenance obligations (2019) further exacerbated the situation.
According to the indictment, Karl F. began looking for a "contract killer" on the darknet in 2021. At first it was about "instilling respect in a person", later he is said to have decided to have his ex-partner killed.
On January 3, 2023, he allegedly placed a corresponding order under a pseudonym and paid over 22,000 francs in bitcoins. He provided photos of Regula M., her car and the license plate. The crime was planned for the end of January - but it was never carried out.
Shortly afterwards, Regula M. was informed by the police that she was the target of a planned contract killing. The trail led via international investigations by the British National Crime Agency to Karl F., who was arrested. In January 2025, the Affoltern District Court sentenced him to five years in prison, but acquitted him of certain charges.
Nervousness among the parties
It is quiet in the courtroom this Thursday. The judge speaks in a clear, somewhat stern voice. The glances between Karl F. and Regula M. only pass briefly once. As different as the two appear in court, they seem to have something in common: They are both nervous.
Thursday's trial is a rollercoaster of emotions. Tears flow, the judge gets loud and at times it becomes almost cynical. Because the defendant's defense laughs, shakes its head and doesn't go into the actual case. This is later confirmed by the judge in the verdict.
The accused pleads innocence
But the actual trial consists of confusion, at least on the part of the defense. This is because the defendant refuses to testify before the higher court. He justified this by saying that the court had no interest in really getting to the bottom of the matter. It had previously rejected several requests for evidence from his defense lawyer, including the demand to examine all devices for traces of hacking.
The defense speaks of an attack by an alleged "scammer" named Tom. This man had gained access to the computer, while an alibi is claimed for the defendant at the time of the darknet communication.
The alibi should even be supported by a fitness watch, as this could prove that the accused was asleep at the time of the crime. F. sits calmly in his chair and listens to his lawyer.
The defense also considers the evidence from the darknet to be inadmissible. The British investigators had not collected it in accordance with Swiss law. F. nods in confirmation. The website may have been deliberately operated to lure criminals into a trap, which violates the ban on deception, says the defense. Karl F.'s lawyer therefore demands an acquittal.
The other side clearly disagrees. The victim's lawyer calls the theory "absurd", also because the alleged "Tom" was never found. F. listens attentively here too, but repeatedly shakes his head at the other side's statements. The public prosecutor accuses the accused of having acted "purposefully, systematically and systematically" and demands a prison sentence of 15 years.
"I feel like a mental hostage"
Then things get emotional. After the party presentations, the private prosecutor Regula M. is allowed to speak at the request of her lawyer. Her mental state is poor. The whole thing is an enormous burden. "Not just because I could have been killed, but because we've been struggling with it for three years," she says.
«I am physically free, but I feel like a mental hostage»
Private plaintiff
In tears, she dares to look back and points out that she has not only been in treatment for three years, but that her two children are also undergoing close therapy. She repeatedly gives the accused a side blow with words such as: "Money has always been important to him", or "None of us had to go to treatment before. Ever since this situation." And adds, sobbing: "I may be physically free, but I feel like a mental hostage."
Immediately after Regula M., Karl F. is given the floor. He is allowed to make a closing statement. "I used to believe that Switzerland was an exemplary constitutional state. I have lost that belief." He had not committed the crime he was accused of. He wants to return to his normal life. In his last sentence, he addresses the court and says: "Please give me my life back."
"Insidious, crass and selfish"
Then comes the sentencing hearing. On Thursday evening, at 6 p.m., the court reconvenes and opens the verdict. Karl F. is found guilty of attempted incitement to murder. He is sentenced to 11 years in prison. In addition, he is ordered to pay CHF 20,000 as satisfaction and CHF 15,000 as legal costs to the private plaintiff Regula M..
The High Court made the same decision as the District Court - only harsher. This is because the court considers the story mentioned by the defendant about a mysterious "Tom" to be implausible. It was "obvious that this person did not exist". There was also no evidence of a hacker attack on his devices. The presiding judge summarized: "Everything speaks for your perpetration and nothing against it." Furthermore, the defense attorney had not once addressed the accusations made by the prosecution.
The High Court spoke of an "insidious, crass and selfish" perpetrator. The accused had wanted to implement an "extraordinarily cruel, diabolical plan". A prison sentence of eleven years was therefore appropriate.
After the verdict was announced, two police officers led the convicted man back to prison. He has already been in remand and security custody there for more than three years.
*Name known to the editors
