40 Months in Prison for Accomplice in Grenade Attack on Wrong House
The original indictment charged the defendant with the act itself, but a plea bargain reduced his role. Despite the State's request for up to 8 years, the court imposed a lighter sentence.
The Tel Aviv-Yafo District Court has sentenced a defendant involved in a fragmentation grenade attack on a home in Or Yehuda to 40 months in prison. The sentencing followed a plea bargain in which the indictment was amended to clarify that an unidentified accomplice was the one who actually threw the grenade.
According to the amended indictment, the defendant conspired with others to target a family home. He retrieved the grenade from a hidden location and drove an unidentified accomplice to the scene. The accomplice then proceeded on an electric scooter to throw the grenade. However, the attackers struck the wrong house, targeting residents who had no connection to the underlying conflict. The explosion shattered kitchen windows and the front door, causing structural damage and scattering shrapnel throughout the courtyard. Two people were inside the house at the time, but miraculously, neither was injured.
During sentencing, the prosecution, represented by Adv. Rotem Neuman and Adv. Tamar Teitelbaum, argued that the use of a lethal fragmentation grenade constituted a grave offense. They contended that the defendant’s role as a driver did not diminish his culpability as a full partner in the crime, requesting a sentence between 5 and 8 years in prison.
Defense attorney Shahar Ladovsky argued that the amended indictment significantly reduced his client's role, noting that he had waited at a distance and did not carry the grenade to the target. He emphasized that the incident occurred late at night on a deserted street and resulted only in property damage. The defense requested a range of 30 to 60 months.
Judge Shmuel Melamed ruled that while the defendant did not throw the grenade, his guilt as a co-perpetrator was absolute due to his involvement in the planning and logistics. However, the court acknowledged that he was not the direct executor and that no lives were lost. The court set a sentencing range of 24 to 54 months for the primary offense, sentencing the defendant to 34 months. After incorporating five additional pending cases, the total sentence was set at 40 months, along with a 10,000 shekel fine, 15,000 shekels in compensation to the victims, and suspended sentences.
