A murder trial began in western Germany on Monday following the fatal shooting of a petrol station worker allegedly in a row over mask-wearing.
According to the indictment, the 50-year-old defendant shot the 20-year-old employee with a revolver at the station in the town of Idar-Oberstein in September.
The young man is said to have repeatedly told the customer to put on a mask - as was required under coronavirus rules - before he was killed in a crime that shocked the nation.
The first day of the trial was interrupted early on when the defence team said that new evidence had been introduced that it wasn't aware of. The trial is now expected to continue on Friday at the earliest.
The new files, containing around 1,300 pages, are said to allege possible links between the accused and Germany's Querdenken (Lateral Thinking) protest movement, which has repeatedly held demonstrations against Covid restrictions, some of which have turned violent.
Senior public prosecutor Nicole Frohn argued that this information, based on investigations by criminal investigators, was directed against third parties and not the 50-year-old defendant.
The man, who is currently being held in custody, is accused of having dabbled in conspiracy theories by denying the existence of the pandemic but had otherwise not been active in any group or organization.
The defendant's attorney had said before the trial that his client intended to make a confession and express his remorse for the crime.
However, the defence lawyers now plan to meet with their client on Wednesday to discuss the new developments in the case and decide whether to continue with the trial on Friday. They will also consider whether new facts have emerged that may have an impact on the defendant's statement.
The suspect, a German national with no previous police record, had previously confessed to the killing. Following his arrest, he reportedly said he had long felt burdened by pandemic restrictions and had decided to "take a stand."
Alongside murder, he has also been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon.
The trial is to take place during 13 sittings scheduled up to mid-May.
At the district court in Bad Kreuznach, the alleged killer was met by a large crowd of photographers and camera teams, but kept his arms folded, head bowed and eyes closed.
Like everyone in the courtroom, he was wearing a protective mouth-and-nose covering. However, presiding judge Claudia Büch-Schmitz later gave him permission to remove it.
Sitting just metres away from the defendant was the mother of the victim, who is represented in the trial as a co-plaintiff.
