A CLIMBER on trial for leaving his girlfriend to freeze to death on Austria’s highest peak previously ditched his ex in an unnervingly similar case, it is claimed.
Thomas Plamberger, 39, is in court facing .
Thomas Plamberger, currently facing a manslaughter trial, allegedly ditched his ex-girlfriend on a mountain at nightCredit: Joerg Voelkerling / Bild
Kerstin died of hypothermia atop the gruelling 12,460ft GrossglocknerCredit: ung.gemeinsam-trauern.net
Kerstin Gurtner, 33, with her climbing partner and boyfriend, ThomasCredit: Unknown
The just 150ft below the 12,460ft summit of the in 2024.
Prosecutors say left her for hours while she was “exhausted, hypothermic and disorientated” – and.
He pleaded not guilty to the on his first day in court in Innsbruck, Austria, on Thursday.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of three years in jail.
In a terrifying twist, it came to light that this was not the first time Plamberger has been accused of abandoning a partner in treacherous conditions.
During the trial, Plamberger’s brother was questioned.
A letter he allegedly received from the defendant’s ex-girlfriend was read out to the court.
In the letter, the woman wrote that Plamberger had “left her in a desperate situation”.
The climber allegedly abandoned her during a hike on the Grossglockner in winter after a “heated argument” about the difficulty of the tour.
The judge asked the brother if he could imagine Plamberger doing something like that.
He replied: “I never saw him in such a situation.”
The tragedy involving Kerstin occurred during a subsequent relationship.
Plamberger – described as highly experienced in high-altitude Alpine tours – is accused of making a string of crucial mistakes by prosecutors.
He allegedly set out two hours late despite brutal winter conditions and failed to bring enough emergency equipment.
Prosecutors say he knew Kerstin had “never undertaken an Alpine tour of this length, difficulty, and altitude”, yet pushed ahead anyway.
Plamberger earlier described himself as an “amateur mountaineer” to the judge, adding that he always planned the hikes with Kerstin.
During the climb, the pair battled savage winds and extreme cold.
Investigators claim he should have turned back earlier when retreat was still possible.
At around 12.30am Plamberger phoned mountain police. What was said remains unclear, though the defence insists he asked for help and denies telling officers everything was fine.
Police claim he then put his phone on silent and ignored further calls.
At 2am – just 130ft from the summit – prosecutors say he left her alone in the freezing darkness without rescue blankets or protective gear.
Chilling webcam images allegedly show him continuing alone down the other side of the mountain at 2.30am.
A rescue alert was not issued until 3.30am. By then, fierce winds meant helicopters could not fly.
Rescuers finally found Kerstin’s body on the mountainside at 10am.
Kurt Jelinek, representing Plamberger, claimed Kerstin shouted at him to ‘Go!’, after he spent an hour and a half with her in freezing conditions.
But Judge Norbert Hofer said his account did not align with how Kerstin’s body was found.
The judge showed a photograph of Kerstin hanging freely from the rock face – indicating that she had fallen, he said.
Plamberger claimed he had left her at a different location.
The head of the mountain rescue team confirmed the inconsistency, adding that it appeared Kerstin had tried to climb down the mountain.
The trial follows an 11-month investigation into the incident by prosecutors who examined the couple’s mobile phones, sports watches, and photographs of their climb.
On the eve of trial, Kerstin’s mum publicly backed Plamberger, blasting what she called a “witch hunt”.
Speaking ahead of the trial she said: “It makes me angry that Kerstin is being portrayed as a naïve little thing who let herself be dragged up the mountain.
“And I think it’s unfair how Kerstin’s boyfriend is being treated. There’s a witch hunt against him in the media and online.”
Plamberger has denied the allegations and insisted he turned away to get help, and it was simply a “tragic, fateful accident”.
The trial is expected to end later on Thursday.
An image captured at around 2.30am showed the boyfriend pushing on alone to descend to the other side of the GrossglockeCredit: Webcam
Kerstin’s mum came out in defence of her boyfriend on the eve of the trialCredit: jung.gemeinsam-trauern.net
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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