Overview
- The Landgericht Heilbronn on Tuesday convicted a 61-year-old hunting leaseholder for placing wire cables across the illegal Dachstrail and sentenced him to one year and three months in prison, suspended on probation.
- Court records show the man strung multiple wires between June and August 2024, with early thin wires breaking and a later, stronger cable set about 1.20 metres high that a rider noticed in time.
- The defendant admitted the acts at trial and said his motive was to deter mountain bikers after years of unsuccessful efforts to stop illegal trail use through official channels.
- Prosecutors had argued for an attempted-murder charge based on treachery, but the judges said the evidence did not establish a killing intent and therefore convicted on the lesser violent-offense count.
- The verdict is not final and the prosecutor has signalled she will consider an appeal; the case highlights tensions over Baden-Württemberg’s ban on cycling on forest paths under two metres and could influence how courts handle future land-use confrontations.