Czech trial of two Romani men charged with throwing paving stones at their neighbors

Yesterday the Regional Court in Plzeň began reviewing the case of 20-year-old David Matuš and his 34-year-old uncle, Radek Matuš, who have been charged with attacking their neighbors this past March in the town of Strýčkovice (Domažlice district). The two Romani men, who according to the indictment attacked their neighbors with paving stones and rocks and threatened to kill them, face up to five years in prison if convicted.      

According to the indictment, the men wanted to intimidate their neighbors so they would not testify against David in a separate case. The incident raised tensions in the municipality, where members of the Romani family have allegedly caused problems for quite some time, and local police had to beef up their force.  

The attack was originally to have been handled by the District Court in Domažlice because the state prosecutor charged both men with trespassing, making criminal threats, rioting and vandalism, for which they faced up to three years in prison. However, the High Court then assigned the matter to the Regional Court to see whether the charges could possibly rise to the level of crimes requiring stricter sentencing of up to five years in prison.  

The incident occurred on 14 March late in the evening. "By prior arrangement, together they threw concrete paving stones and rocks at house number 37 and the adjacent plot of land, and defendant David Matuš was, moreover, armed with a kitchen knife at the time," the state prosecutor said.  

According to the indictment, the assailants entered the yard of the house and threw rocks that broke the waved glass panes of six windows in the workshop on the property and other items, causing CZK 17 400 worth of damage. During the attack they reportedly threatened the two men present that they would cut off their heads or kill them.  

One of the victims used an air rifle to defend himself, after which the assailants fled. Yesterday in court the defendants said they had never entered the yard but that they had just stood on the road in front of the house throwing rocks.  

Radek Matuš testifed that while he was on his way to buy something to drink, someone fired an air rifle at him from the yard of the house. He first went to his relative’s home, then went back to their neighbor’s property and began throwing rocks at it.

He admitted to breaking several windows. However, he said he never threatened anyone.

"If [that neighbor] hadn’t taken a shot at me, it would never have turned out the way it did," Radek Matuš told the court. He claimed to have never had any previous conflicts with the neighbors and to have just been in Strýčkovice for a visit.

David Matuš admitted to throwing at least 20 cobblestones, but said he hadn’t thrown them very hard. He testified that he had wanted to scare his neighbor because the man had allegedly done something spiteful to him.  

The testimonies of the two assailants given yesterday differed from their previous statements, For example, David said it was his uncle Ivan Matuš, Radek’s brother, who had threatened to cut the neighbors’ heads off.

"They were ripping up rocks too, they were throwing them directly at us. My neighbor was lying on the ground near the fence and hiding behind a metal barrel. They climbed onto the fence. I picked up my air rifle and shot in the direction of the fence, I don’t know whether I hit anyone or not, they backed off and my neighbor was able to run into the workshop," said the homeowner who was attacked by the defendants.    

The homeowner’s workshop is located about 15 meters away from the Matuš family home. "I was terribly afraid, mainly for my neighbor when he was lying in the yard," the homeowner testified.  

Both of the defendants have sent letters of apology to the homeowner. They also apologized to him in court yesterday.