Criminal proceedings against a 46-year-old restaurateur have begun before the capital crimes chamber of the Ulm Regional Court. The prosecution accuses him of having arranged the arson of a so-called “Swiss Chalet” on Spitalplatz in Göppingen in January 2026 in order to receive an insurance payout of more than 300,000 euros.
The indictment includes, among other things, five counts of attempted murder, aggravated arson, and insurance fraud. The background to the murder charges is the significant danger posed to residents by the fire during the night. According to findings to date, it was only through the rapid intervention of the fire department that the flames were prevented from spreading to neighboring residential buildings.
The criminal defense is being handled by Attorney Mathias Brenner, partner and certified specialist in criminal law, and Attorney Isabelle Göring of Stirnweiss | Brenner Rechtsanwälte. The proceedings focus in particular on clarifying the actual events, the evaluation of evidence, and the question of the possible involvement of other persons. To this end, the defense has already requested access to the files in the proceedings against another suspected participant.
The proceedings illustrate the special requirements for criminal defense in the case of serious allegations and complex evidentiary situations. Particularly in the case of capital offenses, a comprehensive examination of all evidence, witness statements, and alternative sequences of events is of central importance. The presumption of innocence applies until a final conviction.
The Südwest Presse reported on the start of the trial on September 29, 2026, under the headline “Swiss Chalet set on fire for 300,000 euros?”.