A hunter who strung wires across a mountain bike trail near the south-western German city of Heilbronn to drive away riders has gone on trial for attempted murder at Heilbronn regional court, with the 61-year-old telling the court he had only intended to deter riders and send a signal.
The man is accused of repeatedly stringing wires across a trail located between the towns of Eberstadt and Grantschen between June and August 2024. The trail is popular with mountain bikers but is also illegal.
"I experienced the increasing use of the trail as a massive problem for wildlife and other forest visitors," the hunter and keen horticulturalist said in a statement read out by his defence lawyer on Monday.
'Absolutely wrong decision'
He said he had spent years trying to stop the use of the trail through legal means. "Unfortunately, the bikers did not respond to any of my efforts," the statement continued. On the contrary, the trail had been used more and more intensively.
Nevertheless, stringing up the wires had been "an absolutely wrong decision," he said.
The first wires had snapped when riders passed them, without anyone being injured. The man then strung a more robust rope which, prosecutors said, was barely visible at a height of 1.2 metres.
A mountain biker spotted the trap and managed to brake just in time.
Prosecutors argue that the further attempt fulfils the murder criterion of treachery.
The arrest warrant for the hunter has been suspended since September 2024, and he is currently free.
