German trucker who carried out more than 700 shootings jailed for a decade

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A frustrated German truck driver who carried out more than 700 shootings at passing motorists over a four-year period has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison.

Michael Harry K., 58, carried out the indiscriminate attacks to teach fellow lorry drivers a “lesson” after becoming frustrated with their behaviour the wheel.

He was convicted today on four counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault and intentional engagement in dangerous road and sentenced to ten years and six months incarceration by a district court in Wurzburg, Bavaria. The prosecution had demanded 12 years.

Harry K., from west Germany, was arrested last year after firing more than 700 times at lorries from 2008 to 2013.

During the investigation the trucker claimed he had never meant to hurt anyone, instead aiming for the carriages of fellow truck drivers, and acted only after he was nearly pushed off the road by a large car transporter.

However, his stray bullets occasionally hit passing cars. In one instance in 2009 he seriously injured a businesswoman after a stray bullet hit her in the neck.

The trucker was only caught after a lengthy investigation because many drivers failed to notice their cars had been hit until they arrived at their destination.