A 21-year-old Austrian man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for plotting an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, while in a separate case a Sikh man was found guilty of murdering an 18-year-old student.
Beran A, whose full name was not released under Austrian privacy rules, was convicted by the state court in Wiener Neustadt on Thursday on charges including planning a terrorist attack. He admitted plotting to target fans outside the Ernst Happel Stadium using knives or homemade explosives. The plot was foiled by Austrian authorities, but Swift's three scheduled concerts in Vienna in August 2024 were cancelled as a precaution.
“A 21-year-old Austrian man has been sentenced to 15 years for plotting a terrorist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. In a separate case, Vikrum Digwa was found guilty of murdering 18-year-old Henry Nowak.”
The court heard that Beran A had planned to kill as many people as possible. He expressed remorse, telling the court: 'I'm sorry.' His sentence includes time already served.
The case drew global attention and raised concerns about security at large public events. Austrian officials have not disclosed full details of how the plot was discovered, but said it was thwarted before any danger to the public.
In a separate development in the UK, Vikrum Digwa was found guilty of murdering 18-year-old Henry Nowak. The court heard that Digwa told police a 'wicked lie' that the victim was racist, and that Nowak was handcuffed as he lay dying. The case has sparked debate about false claims and police responses.
For UK readers, the Vienna plot underscores the ongoing threat of terrorism at major concerts and sporting events. Authorities are likely to review security measures, although no specific changes have been announced. The murder conviction highlights the potential consequences of false reports to police.