A 24-year-old Tuniisn migrant has confessed to stabbing and killing a Berlin taxi driver five months ago because he wanted to steal his money, which amounted to €10. He claimed he was too proud to ask for money, which is why he resorted to murder, telling officers that “killing is a good thing.”
The man was reportedly in Germany two days after murdering his girlfriend in Belgium, who he is said to have killed out of jealousy.
The murder took place in a quiet part of Berlin on April 5, in the Grunewald district, where the man hailed a taxicab with the intention of stabbing the driver and taking his money. The 49-year-old unsuspecting driver, a father of two children aged 14 and 22, was almost immediately stabbed in his neck when he stopped to pick up the suspect, according to prosecutors. The Tunisian then fled after taking €10.
The Tunisian did not testify again at the trial in Berlin district court, which began on Tuesday, with his defense attorney stating that he “already confessed several times.”
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A pedestrian nearby found the taxi driver bleeding out on the street. The man received emergency treatment but doctors were unable to save his life.
The murderer was caught on the same day as the crime in Schleswig-Holstein, where police discovered he was also wanted by police for murdering his girlfriend in Belgium. He reportedly killed the 53-year-old out of jealousy.
The accused was placed in a psychiatric hospital, which is often the case for migrants who commit serious crimes. However, the police also interrogated the man who confessed: “I was hungry, I wanted to take money from someone, kill him.” He had already formulated the plan during his train journey from Belgium to Germany. He used the same knife to murder the taxicab driver as his girlfriend.
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The police asked him why he had not just asked someone for money, to which the man responded: “Because I am too proud to ask for money.” He also told the officers: “Killing is a good thing.”
He said he “felt nothing” after the murder, saying, “There is no feeling.”
With the €10, he bought a bag of chips, a coffee, and some juice.
The man left Tunisia with his family in 2011 and has had refugee status in Belgium since 2017. He had no profession and was receiving social benefits.
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Despite his clear confession and the pre-meditated nature of his crime, he was housed in a psychiatric facility due to “psychiatric problems.” However, the courts are now trying him for his crime, and the next date for him to appear in court is Sept. 5. It may still be the case that the man is simply committed to a psychiatric ward by the judge at the end of his trial.
