A 56-year-old man went on trial in Germany on Wednesday charged with the murder of an 80-year-old gay man over 30 years after the alleged crime was committed.

The then 25-year-old homeless man was alleged to have bashed 80-year-old Franz B around the head and neck several times with an ashtray and perfume bottle before making off with the victim’s wallet.

Germany’s privacy laws place restrictions on the publication of names of those in court cases.

Prosecutors believe that robbery was motive for the January 1986 slaying after B invited the younger man to his flat for sex in exchange for food and money.

A new round of DNA tests identified the defendant as a suspect.

The killer left behind a trail of fingerprints and blood in B’s flat after he was apparently injured in the attack.

However, the suspect has been in remand since November. (dpa/NAN)