In a shocking turn of events, a 62-year-old violinist, whose name remains undisclosed, associated with Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein Symphony Orchestra, has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison. This verdict comes following his attempted murders of his mother and two fellow orchestral colleagues through the use of rat poison, which he had acquired from the internet.
The court learned that this violinist had surreptitiously laced his 93-year-old mother’s food with rat poison while she was residing in a retirement home in Hanover in early September 2022.
Another incident unfolded in the same month when the musician offered a garlic dip infused with the poison to a male and a female colleague during an orchestra bus trip, part of a tour. Both victims fell seriously ill afterward, all three victims managed to survive the ordeal, although they endured blood clotting disorders that posed life-threatening risks.
Throughout the trial, NDR reported that the 62-year-old persistently professed his innocence, claiming that he “never intended to harm his beloved mother.” His defense asserted that the violinist was grappling with depression and frequently harbored suicidal thoughts. Additionally, he purportedly felt marginalized and bullied within the orchestra.
The prosecutor, on the other hand, emphasized the deliberate online purchase of the rat poison and argued that the punishment should have been twelve years.
Ultimately, the violinist was found guilty on one count of attempted murder (pertaining to the incident involving his mother) and one count of dangerous bodily harm (pertaining to the incident involving his colleagues) due to the relatively low dosage of poison in the garlic dip. He has been sentenced to six and a half years behind bars.
