Berlin & Brandenburg: Machete attack in wholesale market: prison sentences imposed

Berlin & Brandenburg
Machete attack in wholesale market: prison sentences imposed

05.09.2024, 15:22

A fight breaks out between two groups in the “Dong Xuan Center” in Berlin-Lichtenberg. They end up attacking each other – some of the men are armed with machetes, knives and wooden sticks.

Berlin (dpa/bb) – After a violent argument in the Asian wholesale market “Dong Xuan Center” in Berlin-Lichtenberg that left several people injured, two men were sentenced to prison terms of one year and ten months each. The Tiergarten District Court found the 29 and 36-year-old defendants guilty of joint dangerous bodily harm. “Such behavior cannot be tolerated,” said the presiding judge. A suspended sentence is out of the question.

The two Vietnamese men belonged to one of two groups that got into an argument on the evening of March 15. Several men, including the defendants, were injured. The verdict continued that it was a “conflicting argument”. The court did not see any planned action. Both groups were armed. The background to the incident remained unclear during the trial.

Knives, four machetes and a wooden slat

According to the prosecution, the argument broke out in the early evening in front of Hall 1 of the wholesale market. First, the 36-year-old suddenly punched a 37-year-old man from the opposing group in the face. When the attacker tried to flee, the defendants and eight other men had to give chase.

To prevent further beatings, the pursued man is said to have injured the 36-year-old with a knife. The accused and other group members then armed themselves with four machetes and a wooden plank. They are said to have seriously injured the man and a witness who tried to help him. The two accused were also seriously injured.

Witnesses obviously told lies

All those involved claimed to have been under the influence of alcohol when the incident occurred, according to the court. Witness statements in the trial were of no evidential value – those questioned had obviously lied. The 37-year-old, the alleged victim, contributed to the escalation of the argument. This was taken into account in the sentence imposed.

The defendants were arrested a few days after the violent argument. The 36-year-old had stated during the trial that he had actually wanted to mediate. The 29-year-old, according to his own statements, allowed himself to be “drawn into” the argument.

The public prosecutor had demanded prison sentences of three and a half years each. The defense argued for suspended sentences. The verdict is not yet final.

The “Dong Xuan Center” consists of several large halls with a total of 350 shops, which are mainly run by Vietnamese. However, the wholesale market is also a frequent scene of violence and raids.