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CRIME

Judge jails two for causing Autobahn havoc

Two men have been put away for attempted murder after throwing logs of wood and other heavy objects off Autobahn overpasses as cars passed underneath.

Judge jails two for causing Autobahn havoc
Photo: DPA

The series of disturbing crimes began in October last year, when the two 25-year-old men started driving to overpasses on the Autobahn near Münster in the dead of night intending to cause chaos and, according to the court, death.

In their vehicle they brought heavy objects which they would throw off the bridge onto the lanes below. Sometimes it was logs of wood, another time a park bench, and once a shopping cart, reports WAZ.

The random acts of violence took place seven times and over 20 cars were involved in the resulting crashes.

According to the judgement, on at least one occasion the two young men specifically aimed at a car passing underneath.

Now the judge in the Münster city court has sentenced them to seven and seven and a half year in jail, respectively.

They were “lacking in compassion” he said, adding that it would have been all the same to them if somebody had died.

Earlier in the trial the young men had explained their actions as the result of boredom.

Police were able to track the young men through their mobile phones. Investigators had been able to ascertain that the two men's phones were always active at the scene of the crimes.

Police also believe that the men were responsible for series of attacks on train lines. In 2012 metal objects such as bicycle racks were found thrown across train lines in the area.

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BUSINESS

Elon Musk visits Tesla’s sabotage-hit German factory

Elon Musk travelled Wednesday to Tesla's factory near Berlin to lend his workers "support" after the plant was forced to halt production by a suspected arson attack on nearby power lines.

Elon Musk visits Tesla's sabotage-hit German factory

The Tesla CEO addressed thousands of employees on arrival at the site, accusing “eco-terrorists” of the sabotage as he defended his company’s green credentials.

With his son X AE A-XII in his arms, Musk said: “I am here to support you.”

The billionaire’s visit came a week after power lines supplying the electric carmaker’s only European plant were set on fire in an act of sabotage claimed by a far-left group called the Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group).

READ ALSO: Far-left group claims ‘sabotage’ on Tesla’s German factory

Musk had said then that the attack was “extremely dumb”, while the company said it would cost it several hundred million euros.

A week on, the lights have come back on at the site, but Andre Thierig, who heads the site, said on LinkedIn that it would “take a bit of time” before production is back to full speed.

Industry experts have warned that the reputational impact caused by the sabotage on the region could be more severe than the losses suffered by Tesla.

Tesla’s German plant started production in 2022 following an arduous two-year approval and construction process dogged by administrative and legal obstacles.

Tesla wants to expand the site by 170 hectares and boost production up to one million vehicles annually to feed Europe’s growing demand for electric cars and take on rivals who are shifting away from combustion engine vehicles.

But the plans have annoyed local residents, who voted against the project in a non-binding ballot last month.

After the vote, Tesla said it might have to rethink the plans. Environmental activists opposed to the expansion of the factory have recently also set up a camp in a wooded area near the plant.

READ ALSO: Why is Tesla’s expansion near Berlin so controversial?

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