By Anne Losensky
War of the Roses with hand grenades: the explosive end of a marriage, attempted murder or self-defense?
March 24, 2023, Pankower Allee (Reinickendorf). At 11:15 p.m., a wartime explosion shook the middle-class neighborhood. Injured people lie on the street, blood everywhere.
Mirsad O. (61) sits in the dock. The public prosecutor’s office: He came by bus from Serbia with a weapon of war in his luggage – a live hand grenade. Lying in wait in Reinickendorf. Waits until the ex-wife (42) and rival (61) return from a visit to a restaurant with their friend (48). Pull the detonator, throw the grenade – in the middle of Berlin!
According to the accusation, his motive: revenge, insult, jealousy. He is then said to have stabbed his rival and ex-wife several times with a knife. He faces the maximum penalty. The allegations: three attempted murders with a hand grenade (insidious, base motives, means dangerous to the public) plus two attempted murders with a knife.
The defendant claims that it was self-defense: “The man threw something at my feet, I just picked it up and threw it back at his feet.” That’s where “it” exploded. His ex-wife and rival owed him money, she owed him 20,000 euros and he owed him 6,000 euros. He drank a lot that day. He remembers the bill in the bar clearly: 200 euros. Nothing more.
Their son (23) dragged his injured mother into the house. An emergency operation saved the rival, who was seriously injured by shrapnel and knife wounds. Mirsad O.: “I never intended to kill her, especially since she is the mother of my children.”
Verdict on November 28th.