bigbugga
25th January 2004, 11:17 PM
Bank robber handed back gun after release from jail
Prison guards who handed back a gun to a convicted bank robber on his release from jail have come under fire after he allegedly used it to carry out another robbery.
German Manfred D, not named for legal reasons, was handed the gun after he was released from a 13 year sentence for a series of armed bank robberies.
The 42-year-old however was caught allegedly trying to hold up a bank in Krefeld, western Germany, and is now standing trial at the Krefeld Regional Court.
Apologising for the mistake, prison spokesman Werner Schwenzer said: "We don't know how this could have happened.
"A mistake was obviously made when he was first convicted and his gun placed with the rest of his possessions in safekeeping, instead of being completely confiscated."
Legal expert Dr Edmund Haferbeck said: "We cannot afford to make grave mistakes like this. Handing a weapon back to a bank robber is like handing him an invitation to carry out another offence."
Story filed: 12:53 Friday 16th January 2004
8O :? 8O :? 8O
Prison guards who handed back a gun to a convicted bank robber on his release from jail have come under fire after he allegedly used it to carry out another robbery.
German Manfred D, not named for legal reasons, was handed the gun after he was released from a 13 year sentence for a series of armed bank robberies.
The 42-year-old however was caught allegedly trying to hold up a bank in Krefeld, western Germany, and is now standing trial at the Krefeld Regional Court.
Apologising for the mistake, prison spokesman Werner Schwenzer said: "We don't know how this could have happened.
"A mistake was obviously made when he was first convicted and his gun placed with the rest of his possessions in safekeeping, instead of being completely confiscated."
Legal expert Dr Edmund Haferbeck said: "We cannot afford to make grave mistakes like this. Handing a weapon back to a bank robber is like handing him an invitation to carry out another offence."
Story filed: 12:53 Friday 16th January 2004
8O :? 8O :? 8O