Trial begins for hammer attack suspect; victim remains in coma

A trial commenced at the Hamburg Regional Court for a man accused of a brutal hammer attack on a woman shortly before Christmas last year. The prosecution alleges that the 36-year-old defendant struck the victim multiple times, causing severe head injuries.

The woman suffered a traumatic brain injury and a fractured skull. She has been in a coma since the attack on December 20, according to the Hamburg public prosecutor's office. The trial against the 36-year-old began with the reading of the indictment.

In a statement read by his defense attorney, the accused claimed he was acting in self-defense. The court heard testimony from a doctor from the University Hospital Eppendorf regarding the injured woman's condition. The prosecution decided not to pursue attempted homicide charges, citing the defendant's immediate call to emergency services after the assault as a mitigating factor, potentially allowing for a reduced sentence under the principle of voluntary withdrawal from an attempted crime.

Consequently, the charges have been revised to severe and dangerous bodily harm. While attempted homicide carries a penalty of five years to life imprisonment, severe bodily harm is punishable by one to ten years in prison. The court has scheduled six additional hearing dates through July 3.