The incident

In the early hours of 13 April 2025, a dispute erupted between two groups in a nightclub in Trittau, in the Stormarn district of Schleswig-Holstein. The confrontation, which the presiding judge described as lasting only 28 seconds, involved punches, thrown glasses and bottles. During the melee, the defendant pulled out a single-edged knife he had borrowed from a friend earlier and stabbed a 21-year-old man between the ribs with force. The victim suffered a lung injury and died at the scene.

“Anyone who stabs someone in the upper body in this way and with this force willingly accepts their death.”

Motive and flight

The defendant had travelled from Hamburg to the club intending to celebrate with friends. He received a phone call from his girlfriend reporting harassment, and the court identified revenge as the motive after she was knocked to the ground during the brawl. Judge Brunkow noted there was no concrete threat to the defendant himself. After the stabbing, the group acted calmly: they waited until everyone had paid, arranged a ride with acquaintances, and smuggled the knife out of the club by hiding it in a jacket they draped over an unsuspecting female friend.

“Rather, exactly what happens when a knife is carried happened.”

The verdict

On 10 June 2026, the Lübeck Regional Court sentenced the 22-year-old to ten years and nine months in prison for manslaughter. The sentence exceeded the prosecution's request of nine years and eight months but fell short of the 12 years demanded by the joint plaintiff. The defence had pleaded for acquittal, arguing the perpetrator's identity was not proven, but the chamber ruled that video footage from the nightclub and forensic medical evidence excluded any other suspect.

Court criticism

Judge Brunkow sharply criticised the other members of the defendant's group, who displayed memory lapses and lied in court to exonerate him. She also noted the defendant showed no remorse and that his account was implausible when weighed against witness testimony, video recordings and forensic findings. The verdict is not yet legally binding and can be appealed.