(GERMAN) Actor crushed man (ACCOUNTANT) to death (HOLD MEIN BIER)

The Daily Telegraph ^ | November 28, 2002 | Michael Leidig

[MadIvan]

A German actor who weighs 19st (266 pounds) was jailed for 15 years yesterday for squashing his accountant to death. Günther Kaufmann, 55, burst into tears when sentence was passed in a Munich court.

Kaufmann, who claimed that he had accidentally fallen on the accountant, was both Exhibit A - the weapon - and the accused. It was the first time in German legal history that a person had been charged with using his bulk to kill somebody.

Kaufmann was cleared of murder but found guilty of grievous robbery and blackmail with fatal consequences.

The prosecution said he lay on top of his tax adviser, pressing his face into the carpet until he could no longer breathe. Medical experts said this would have taken about five minutes.

A post-mortem examination showed that the 60-year-old accountant, who was not named, had suffocated.

The court heard that Kaufmann took part in a fraud started by his wife, Alexandra, who has since died.

She had allegedly borrowed £330,000 from the accountant, saying that she needed the money for a compensation claim in America. She told him that in return she would give him £16.5 million of the £45 million she expected to win.

When Kaufmann refused to repay the money, he and his accountant started arguing one night in February 2001. Kaufmann said: "He became loud and nasty and said my wife could go to hell."

He admitted that he had not taken the insult to his wife "very well", but denied intending to kill his adviser.

He said he accidentally fell on him during the argument. "All of a sudden he was no longer moving."

[MadIvan]

Out of all the lame brain criminal schemes I've seen, this one is among the more stupid.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Brett66]

If his bum did not sit, you must acquit!

[tet68]

Now if it had been consentual sex, that would have been a different cup of beer.

What kind of accountant loans a client's wife three hundred and thirty thousand pounds.
I don't think we have all the evidence just yet.

Can we say the accountant was smothered by debt?
Crushed by the weight of his mistake?

[Bowhunter]

Ich habe der beanencounter gesquishened!!

[mhking]

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

[TomB]

"No time for desert, I have to meet my accountant."

[FreedomPoster]

>>She had allegedly borrowed £330,000 from the accountant, saying that she needed the money for a compensation claim in America. She told him that in return she would give him £16.5 million of the £45 million she expected to win.

That's pretty much the Nigerian Scam!

[Semi Civil Servant]

There is a scene in "The Producers" where the hefty actor Zero Mostel is jumping up and down over his screaming, hysterical accountant, Gene Wilder.

Life imitates art.

[APBaer]

Dumbkoff!!

It's crunch the *numbers*,
not crunch the number cruncher!

[farmfriend]

So he accidentally fell on the guy but then laid there for 5 minutes until he was dead? Sure he did.

[Sungirl]

That's really disgusting.
I work with 2 people...a man and a woman who are that large....and they both just got out of the hospital about 2 weeks ago after having their stomachs stapled. I hope it's successful ...

[DeaconBenjamin]

He ain't heavy, he's my client.....

[tjg]

Where did this "hold my beer" thing come from and what exactly does it mean?

[SoCal Pubbie]

Deutchland uber alles!

[altair]

Interesting article. I've wondered about something related. I know that the biggest Sumo wrestlers (up to ~500lbs) are married and I worry about their wives. What if they accidentally flopped over on top of them while they were sleeping? I wonder if that's actually happened before. Stay safe Mrs. Akebono.

[singletrack]

Thanks for the picture. I've reset my wallpaper. With no screensaver my monitor goes black and the first thing my wife will see in 3hrs 20 min as she preps Thanksgiving wil be Mr Creosote.......

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Monty Python: help for the ol' diet!

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Was that before or after he 'sploded? Been a while since I saw that one!

[RichInOC]

Q: What are a redneck's last words?
A: "Hey, y'all, hold muh beer 'n' watch this...."