Borussia Dortmund bus bombing suspect admits to attack, denies intent to kill

A 28-year-old Russian-born German citizen charged with last April's Borussia Dortmund bus attack admitted to causing an explosion during the second day of trial on Monday, according to The Associated Press.

The defendant has been charged with 28 counts of attempted murder, two counts of serious bodily harm, and causing an explosion.

Sergei W., whose full name was not revealed, admitted to the attack but has denied the charge of attempted murder at a Dortmund city district court. He admitted to causing the explosion in hopes of significantly lowering the club's stock. Prosecutors allege Sergei W. purchased more than 26,000 put options on club shares prior to the attack, predicting the share price would drop. Borussia Dortmund is the only publicly traded German football club.

The explosion struck the BVB bus as it left the team's hotel ahead of a Champions League fixture against Monaco. Dortmund centre-back Marc Bartra suffered a fractured wrist, while a police officer sustained hearing loss following the incident, which saw the match moved to the following day.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

"I deeply regret my behaviour," the defendant explained, reading a statement, according to BBC News.

"I didn't want to hurt or seriously hurt anyone, and I certainly didn't want to kill anyone," he added, according to The Associated Press.

The defendant's lawyer, Carl W. Heydenreich, said that Sergei W. aimed to create a "realistic scenario" of a terror attack that would link Islamic extremists to the explosion.

Police initially suspected the involvement of a 26-year-old Iraqi national alleged to be a member of an affiliate of Islamic State (ISIS).