German in court for allegedly killing two Italians in football row

Jan 20, 2011, 11:05 GMT

Hanover - A German on trial for shooting and killing two Italians after a football row during last year's World Cup told the court Thursday he regretted his actions.

'I realize that I have inflicted barely imaginable suffering upon the families,' the defendant said in a statement read by his lawyer as the trial opened in the northern city of Hanover.

The 42-year-old stands accused of murdering the Italian men by shooting them in the head in a bar in Hanover's red-light district. Earlier they had been arguing whether Germany or Italy had won more World Cup titles.

The defendant said he barely remembered the deed, adding that he merely recollected 'the sound of three gun shots.'

He had left the bar in the early hours, but returned later armed with a gun.

The victims, a 47-year-old cook and a 49-year-old pizza chef, would not have expected an attack on their lives after the man left, the prosecutor said.

He charged that the perpetrator had taken a taxi home, placed a gun in a plastic bag, withdrawn cash en route and returned to the bar, where he shot the men in the head.

The incident happened last July, in the middle of the football World Cup. The accused, who is retired, then fled to the island of Mallorca, where his stepfather lived. There, he turned himself in to the police.

The German media does not usually name a defendant who is on trial.

Read more about Germany Justice

Read more about Italy