Salzburg defendant says he invented plan to kill landlord

A 44-year-old Iranian accused of attempted murder told a court in Salzburg on Tuesday that he had made up a plan to stab his landlord to get help and somewhere to sleep after losing his home, ORF reported. The trial is ongoing.

The man told police in April that he had intended to stab his landlord and then himself. He now says he invented the plan because he had nowhere to sleep after being told to leave the flat. He said he took the knife later.

Prosecutors allege the man owed his landlord, a fellow Iranian, several months’ rent and other borrowed money. The landlord reportedly wanted him to leave, and the defendant is accused of threatening him twice.

The prosecution says the man went with a knife to his landlord’s workplace in Salzburg. The landlord was on holiday and the company was closed, after which the man went to the police.

If convicted of attempted murder, he faces a prison sentence of 10 to 20 years or life imprisonment. It remains unclear whether the court will accept his account.