Dutch man acquitted of killing one with MDMA-laced champagne in Germany
A court in Germany has cleared a 46-year-old man from Arnhem in a case involving bottles of champagne that were later found to be filled with an MDMA solution, RTL reports. After drinking from one of the bottles, multiple people fell seriously ill, and one person died.
The case dates back to February 2022 in a restaurant in Weiden, a city in Bavaria. Around eight people were celebrating a night out when a large bottle of champagne was opened. It was later discovered that the bottle contained liquid MDMA.
The deceased was identified as 52-year-old Harald Georg Z. He reportedly died within two hours after drinking a large sip from a 3-liter jeroboam bottle of Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial.
The Arnhem man, Theo G., faced multiple serious charges, including manslaughter, causing bodily harm through negligence, and participation in organized drug trafficking. Prosecutors recommended a 10-year prison term.
The bottle was found to contain no champagne, but undiluted liquid MDMA at a strength roughly 1,000 times higher than a typical ecstasy pill. Its contents were estimated to be worth tens of thousands of euros on the illicit market.
A German court found there was not enough evidence to prove the man was knowingly involved in the drugs found in the bottles. It also ruled that an important prosecution witness was unreliable. He was therefore acquitted and could be entitled to compensation for the time he spent in custody before the trial.
The bottles entered circulation in 2022 and were linked to multiple poisonings across Europe. The accused maintains he was unaware they contained drugs, saying he sold them from a storage unit. The case ultimately centered on questions of knowledge and proof.
