Schleswig-Holstein Violinist Jailed for Attempted Murder of Mother and Colleagues

The 62-year-old German violinist administered rat poison to his mother and colleagues in two separate incidents, taking place in late 2022

An unnamed 62-year-old violinist of Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein Symphony Orchestra has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in jail, after he attempted to murder his mother and two orchestral colleagues with rat poison that he had ordered on the internet.

The court heard that the violinist had mixed rat poison in his 93-year-old mother’s food in a retirement home in Hanover in early September 2022.

A further offense, which also took place in September 2022, saw the player offer a garlic dip mixed with the poison to one male and one female colleague — while the orchestra was taking a bus trip as part of a tour. Both victims became seriously ill afterwards. All three victims survived, but suffered from blood clotting disorders that could have killed them.

During the trial, NDR reported that the 62-year-old repeatedly protested his innocence, saying that he "never meant to kill his beloved mother." The defense argued that the player suffered from depression and frequently experienced suicidal thoughts. He also allegedly felt "bullied" in the orchestra.

The prosecutor, however, pointed to the fact that the player had deliberately ordered the rat poison online, and argued that the sentence should have been twelve years.

The player ultimately received one charge of attempted murder (for the incident involving his mother) and one charge of dangerous bodily harm (for the incident involving his colleagues) on account of the low dosage of poison in the garlic dip. He will serve a sentence of six-and-a-half years.