Graz court sentences man to 18 years for attempted murder

A 42-year-old man from western Styria was sentenced in Graz on Thursday to 18 years in prison for attempted murder after allegedly attacking his flatmate with a wooden chair, ORF reported. The sentence also includes placement in a forensic-therapeutic centre and is not yet legally binding.

The attack took place on November 13, 2025, after an argument in the apartment they shared in Voitsberg, a town in western Styria. The man allegedly struck the woman repeatedly with the chair, leaving her with 16 broken bones.

The woman eventually regained consciousness and crawled on all fours to the building’s stairwell, where a neighbour called for help. Police found the accused asleep on a sofa under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

In court, the man said he had been cooking and drinking beer with the woman before taking two benzodiazepines. He said he could not remember what happened afterwards. He later recalled watching television in his room when the woman allegedly came in and harassed him.

He said the woman had also repeatedly struck him and told the court: “We were both victims.” He insisted that he had never wanted to kill her.

The former flatmate, who gave evidence in the accused’s absence, said she still suffers from the consequences of her injuries. She could not remember how the attack began because she had been intoxicated, but said she feared for her life.

A psychiatric expert diagnosed the man with a combined personality disorder featuring emotionally unstable and dissocial traits. The expert also said there was a risk he could commit further offences without treatment.