Altercation Leads to Homicide Conviction for Husband
Initially, a husband's narrative of his wife's fatal shooting was accepted as a self-inflicted wound. However, subsequent proceedings led to a different verdict in the Munich Regional Court. The husband, Srecko S., a father of five, was now facing a life sentence for murder.
An Alleged Suicide Turned into a Homicide
The Regional Court of Munich I altered a previously issued sentence in a court appeal case. Srecko S., the accused, will now spend his life in prison due to the wife's homicide. The wife was discovered dead with a gunshot wound to the head in 2015. In the initial trial, S. was only given a suspended two-year sentence for a weapons offense as the court viewed his wife's demise as a suicide.
Redress by Germany's Highest Court
The Federal Court of Justice overturned the previous sentence on appeal by the public prosecutor's office. The jury now determined that the woman was not responsible for her own death but was killed by her husband. Despite her separation initiative, the two maintained contact, having five children together.
Defendant Offered Multiple Narratives
According to the court's judgement, the couple prepared to spend a night together before ending their lives. The evening of the incident saw a revelation of a message between an acquaintance and S.'s wife, which led him to execute his plan. First, he shot her and then attempted to stage a suicide. S. then placed a cartridge in her hand. The regional court evaluated the incident's sequence based on newly gathered evidence.
The defendant presented varying stories of the events. First, he insisted that his wife had taken her own life. In another version, he declared he was present during the event. Lastly, he testified that the deadly shot was fired during a struggle over the gun. The court ruled the crime as an intentionally premeditated homicide. S. displayed an excessive obsession with possession, which was exploited and led to his wife's separation.
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The wife's homicide investigation took an unexpected turn in the initial trial. Due to the court's belief in her suicide, S. was prosecuted for a weapons offense. However, an appeal to the Federal Court of Justice by the public prosecutor's office reversed this decision. New evidence led to the convicting of S.'s wife's murder as his act.
With the new sentence, the Serbian-born defendant faces incarceration for the rest of his life in Munich for the crime of murder and manslaughter.
