He planned a casino heist – and got cold feet

A 23-year-old Swiss entered the Grand Casino Baden with a grenade. Now he had to answer in court.

In these days a 23-year-old Swiss had to answer before the district court Baden because of attempted robbery in the Grand Casino Baden. The defendant entered the building through the main entrance on the evening of August 1st last year with a soft-air pistol and an irritation grenade as well as a face mask, scarf and sunglasses. The grenade was stolen by Kevin (name changed) from the recruit school in November 2017, along with a fog grenade. After passing through the main entrance and being in front of the casino entrance, he thought it was closed and returned, the indictment says.

However, the police were able to arrest Kevin late in the evening. Because he still carried the pistol and the grenade with him, he also had to answer for violating the Weapons Act and the Explosives Act. He is also accused of exhibitionism and sexual harassment because he allegedly sexually harassed two women at a bus stop and masturbated in front of them more than a month after the event at the Grand Casino.

The learned bricklayer did not deny the accusations of the evening of the Swiss national holiday that he had wanted to rob the casino: “I regret it. I don’t know how I got the idea”. Before the president of the court, Peter Rüegg Kevin, who appeared in grey at the trial, answered most of the questions very briefly with yes or no, whereby he seemed calm and reserved.

When Rüegg asked more precisely why he suddenly turned back at the Grand Casino, Kevin explained: “I didn’t want to carry out the robbery at all, I didn’t dare”. In mid-September 2018, Kevin is said to have committed another offence by sexually harassing a woman near a train station in the canton on two consecutive days and exposing his limb. The accused objected: “I didn’t do that. One woman was also not 100 per cent sure that I had committed the crime when she was confronted.

Judgement presses on the wallet

Judge Rüegg finally announced that the district court would not prosecute Kevin for violating the explosives law and the weapons law due to a lack of jurisdiction. Kevin has yet to make an appointment before the military judiciary, as he kept the assault rifle from the military at home carelessly.

For attempted robbery, exhibitionism, sexual harassment and violation of the Weapons Act, the court sentenced the defendant to a fine of 180 Swiss francs per day at 110 francs. The probationary period is a minimum of two years, as Kevin has never committed a crime before. However, he has to pay a fine of 1500 francs as well as the costs of the proceedings and the lawyer’s fees. Rüegg justified the judgement with the fact that Kevin deliberately carried the weapons with him at the Grand Casino without authorization and that the women recognized him to about 90 per cent.