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Germany: Defendant regrets death of female student

By The Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — An 18-year-old man on trial over the death of German-Turkish student Tugce Albayrak said Friday that he regretted his actions.

The defendant, identified only as Sanel M., told a regional court in Darmstadt on the opening day of his trial that he slapped Albayrak in the face before she fell to the ground. The 23-year-old student died two weeks after the Nov. 15 altercation at a fast food restaurant in the city of Offenbach, prompting outrage in Germany and Turkey.

“I’m eternally sorry for what I did,” German news agency dpa quoted the defendant as saying in court. “I never expected her to die.”

Witnesses said Albayrak had earlier come to the aid of two girls who were being harassed by the defendant and another man. The girls, aged 13 and 14, were scheduled to testify at a closed-doors session Friday afternoon.

M., who prosecutors say had previous run-ins with the law, is on trial charged with bodily harm resulting in death. If convicted, he could face a minimum sentence of six months or three years, depending on whether he is sentenced as a juvenile or as an adult.

A verdict is expected in June.

After her death, German President Joachim Gauck praised Albayrak as a hero and a role model for trying to help others.

Covering the Bases: Nats and the rain

By Jonathan Warner
WASHINGTON -- It's rather ironic that the Nationals' longest night in Atlanta this weekend ended up being their best of the series. However, I don't know if Braves fans will say the same thing. They had to wait out a 3-hour, 41-minute rain delay late Saturday. The game didn't start until 10:50 p.m., and because it went 11 innings, didn't end till 2:29 a.m. Major League Baseball can't control the length of games, but it can certainly limit the time fans must endure before play begins. Anything beyond two hours is a disgrace. It shows no respect for the paying customer. If fans finally lose patience, head home and then play begins, not only do they miss the game, but there will be no refund either. All clubs do it. I've sat through many long rain delays in different cities. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. However, while I'll return for more games, you have to think some fans may not ever be back. - Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg were supposed to make the Nationals World Series contenders. So, it's rather ironic that they're in first place with both having rather unimpressive years. In addition, the Face of the Franchise, Ryan Zimmerman, has been sidelined most of the season. So how are they doing it? Pitching and defense. Washington had only one All-Star and now Jayson Werth is dealing with nagging injuries. The Nationals' MVPs have been Anthony Rendon, Ian Desmond, Denard Span, Tanner Roark and Doug Fister. So far, though, it hasn't been good enough to beat the Braves, at least head-to-head. Maybe in the end it won't matter. - Watching the Nats-Braves game Sunday night once again highlighted an annoying factor of ESPN. The freakin' news crawl. STOP IT. PLEASE. I don't need to be reminded every two minutes that Tony Stewart has released a statement or watch repeated Arena Football League scores. Who even knew the league still existed? - One final thing. The PGA Championship hands out a true award. The Wanamaker Trophy is a size befitting a major championship. Not quite as big as the Stanley Cup, but impressive nonetheless at 28-inches high and 27-inches in diameter from handle to handle. It weighs 27 pounds. The World Cup, meanwhile, needs to up its game. A World Championship deserves a world class trophy. 14.5 inches tall just doesn't cut it. Follow @WTOP and @WTOPSports on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook. .
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