Axe-wielding attacker sentenced to prison and deportation

Frustrated attacker “wanted to punish” job centre employees

A Helsingør court has sentenced 43-year-old Berekteab Ogbaslassie Weldegebriel to nine years behind bars and deportation upon his release for attacking two employees of a Helsingør job centre with an axe in March of this year.

The decision against the Eritrean man was unanimous.

“The court recognised that the accused had chosen a very dangerous weapon and swung it at the victim's heads,” said the judge. “He told doctors and police after the attack that he intended to kill the two employees.”

The judge said that the court also took into consideration the fact that Berekteab had been previously convicted of another violent attack.

Prosecutor Tina Davidson said that she was happy with the verdict, saying that since Berekteab had not been judged insane, he was fully aware that his actions could have had deadly consequences.

Berekteab’ s attorney Paul Ege Poulsen said that the sentence was too harsh.

“I think it is a relatively tough judgement in relation to what occurred before the attack,” said Poulsen

Berekteab had endured long periods of unemployment since 2009 and said he was frustrated because the job centre was not helping him find work.

“They have treated me poorly for several years,” he said in court. “I decided that I would punish them.”

Berekteab immediately appealed his sentence and said he would report the entire judicial system to an international human rights court.

“The deportation hit him the hardest,” said Poulsen. “He is convinced he will be tortured if he is forced to return to Eritrea.”

Berekteab was also ordered to pay compensation to his victims.

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