A German court has sentenced a Syrian migrant smuggler who killed seven people – including a child – to 15 years in prison last October.

According to the district court of Traunstein in Bavaria, 25-year-old Al. O. from Damascus was found guilty of manslaughter, migrant smuggling and dangerous driving. The prosecutor had recommended a life sentence for 7 murders and 15 attempted murders.

Al.O. admitted at trial that last October he was on his way from Austria to Bavaria with 22 immigrants from Syria and the Turkeyin a mini-bus which was designed for nine passengers and was overloaded, according to experts, by half a ton. The 25-year-old lost control of the vehicle, which hit the highway guardrail at high speed and overturned. Seven of the passengers died, including a 6-year-old child. The defendant stated that he did not mean to harm anyone and his defense lawyer requested that he be found guilty of negligence. “We have a car accident, a very tragic car accident“, said the lawyer and asked for a 12-year prison sentence for his client.