Life imprisonment imposed on Austrian bomb maker.

A Styrian IT technician, aged 56, found himself behind bars for life on Wednesday following a gripping trial at the Graz Regional Criminal Court. This man, intent on eliminating his ex-wife, had constructed numerous bombs and planted them—some with the assistance of Jehovah's Witnesses.

In court, he confessed to his initial motive, with several other explosive devices serving as a diversionary tactic. The sentence isn't final, but he'll also be committed to a forensic-therapeutic center.

Several other charges, including multiple attempted murders, were dropped by the jury. Initially, the public prosecutor's office suspected over 30 attempts on lives.

During the trial's second day, investigators were heard, with the initial officer testifying about the suspect's cooperative nature. He admitted his intentions almost immediately: "I wanted to kill my ex-wife." However, an investigative error came to light when the bomb on his ex-wife's car wasn't discovered during the first inspection. For weeks, the woman and their children remained on the road with an explosive device attached to the car. The accused, upon inquiry by the judge, stated that he was unaware that his children were driving with their mother: "There was no contact."

An expert report on Monday discussed the accusation's psychologist's assessment, and on Wednesday, the psychiatric report by Manfred Walzl was presented. He diagnosed a "very severe combined personality disorder" with narcissistic tendencies. Despite this, the defendant's accountability was preserved.

The expert noted a striking lack of empathy or compassion in the accused. His narcissism was pronounced: "The own ego dominates everything." People with this disorder, untreated, can develop "narcissistic rage," which poses a significant risk of violence.

The public prosecutor, Patricia Weber, maintained in her closing argument that the accused showed no remorse and created "an atmosphere of fear" among Jehovah's Witnesses. On the other hand, the defense attorney argued that the defendant was not a "terrorist mass murderer" but rather someone driven to madness by his ex-wife.

In cases involving severe combined personality disorders, as this defendant's disorder, complex behavior patterns can lead to violent or destructive actions. Legal systems often demand thorough psychological evaluations, as in this case, to assess culpability and determine appropriate sentencing. While such evaluations are essential, they may not always lead to reduced penalties for serious crimes like attempted murder.

The Styrian IT technician, upon reflection during the trial, confessed that he was convicted of his intention to eliminate his ex-wife, despite being scheduled to undergo treatment for a severe combined personality disorder with narcissistic tendencies at a forensic-therapeutic center.
In a striking display, the expert report revealed a lack of empathy or compassion in the defendant, whose narcissism was pronounced, posing a potential risk of developing "narcissistic rage," a dangerous state that could lead to violent or destructive actions.
During the course of the trial, evidence cited included the numerous bombs planted by the defendant, some with the assistance of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as the failure of the initial inspection to discover an explosive device attached to the ex-wife's car, which she and their children unknowingly drove for weeks.
The defense attorney, arguing on behalf of the accused, insisted that his client was not a terrorist mass murderer but instead someone driven to madness by his ex-wife, a contention that contrasted with the public prosecutor's assertion that the defendant created "an atmosphere of fear" among Jehovah's Witnesses, potentially influenced by the general-news and crime-and-justice coverage surrounding the case.