Racist letter-bomber gets jail for life

A racist letter-bomber whose attacks killed four people and terrorised Austria and Germany in the mid-1990s was jailed for life…

A racist letter-bomber whose attacks killed four people and terrorised Austria and Germany in the mid-1990s was jailed for life yesterday.

Franz Fuchs (49), an unemployed technician, was found guilty of three racist bombings and sending 23 letter-bombs during a two-year campaign from 1993-1995 which also injured more than 10 people.

His most deadly attack killed four gypsies in the Austrian town of Oberwart on February 5th, 1995. He was also convicted of sending a letter bomb which nearly killed then Vienna mayor, Mr Helmut Zilk, in December 1993.

The jury in Austria's second city, Graz, took nine hours to reach their decision. He was specifically convicted of having made and hidden a bomb under a sign covered in anti-gypsy slogans. Four Romany gypsies were killed when they tried to tear down the sign.