Bus bomber Borussia Dortmund, Sergej W., sentenced to 14 years in prison

The defendant known as Sergej W was found guilty of laying the bomb that damaged the bus of Borussia Dortmund's team in 2017 and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Prosecutors had asked for 28 life imprisonment for attempted murder, after the explosion of three roadside bombs while the team bus was heading to the Westfalenstadion before the quarter-finals of the league champions against Monaco last April.

The trial lasted 11 months on Wednesday and the 29-year-old will now serve 14 years, while paying € 15,000 to former Dortmund defender Marc Bartra, the Spanish international injured in the event. 39; attack.

The defense was seeking a "one-digit" prison sentence, with the man being identified only by Sergej W because of local privacy legislation, claiming that he had no intention to hurt anyone.

Instead, it is understood that he hoped to earn up to £ 3 million on the stock market if the price of the Bundesliga giants' stock dropped.

Sergej W, originally from Rottenburg am Neckar and nicknamed the "Ghost of the Black Forest", admitted to having built the bombs and exploded, but also claimed to have placed the explosive charge in such a way that the bus of Dortmund is not hit by the plane. full force of the explosion.

He told the Dortmund District Court that he had deliberately used less explosive material than was suggested in the bombing instructions he had found online and denied any intention to do so. to kill.

The force of the explosion was so great that a fragment of metal was found 250 meters away.

Of the 27 other people on board, some suffered minor scratches and many suffered a shock, which, according to some players, continues to affect him to this day.

A number of former Dortmund stars, including Roman Weidenfeller, the German international defender Matthias Ginter, and the current Paris Saint-Germain coach, Thomas Tuchel, have all testified. Tuchel stated that he thought he would have stayed at the club if the attack had not taken place.

Club captain, Marcel Schmelzer, told the court earlier this year that he was now often surprised by loud noises. He added: "I'm trying to change my mind, but from time to time, there's a moment when you think about how lucky we are."

The case has already been described as unprecedented in the German judicial history.

Terrorism was initially suspected, with three letters – each containing radical Islamic rhetoric – claiming responsibility found near the site of the blast.

But the attention turned to the German born in Russia after it was discovered that in the days leading up to the incident he had spent more than 26 € 000 in options and other financial derivatives that would have allowed him to earn millions if the price of Dortmund's stock was in free fall.