Court remands former police officer suspected of brutal murder in Saediniu in custody
The District Court in Plovdiv ordered that former police officer Todor Lapkov remain in custody on suspicion of causing the death of 21-year-old Mitko Dimitrov.
Court remands former police officer suspected of brutal murder in Saediniu in custody
Magistrates in Plovdiv ruled that former Interior Ministry employee Todor Lapkov should remain in custody on suspicion of causing the death of 21-year-old Mitko Dimitrov in the Plovdiv village of Saediniu. The serious incident came to light on 19 August when dismembered human remains were discovered in a mine shaft at the police station. Investigators established that the victim was the young man from the village of Naiden Gerovo, who had broken into Lapkov's farm with an axe earlier that evening.
According to the accused's account, he found Dimitrov on his farmyard and attempted to chase him away. He then drew his illegal pistol, warned him that he would shoot, but the attacker did not back off. At that point the former police officer fired two shots, which proved fatal. Subsequently, alarmed by the reaction of the deceased's relatives and in an attempt to conceal what had happened, he dismembered the body with the axe with which he himself had been attacked, concealed the remains in bags and buried them in a mine shaft near his property.
In court, Lapkov stated that he did not wish to be released because he feared revenge. He requested to remain under guard for some time, although he claimed that he had not acted with intent but under conditions of inevitable self-defence. His defence emphasised that his client had the right to protect his home and property. The prosecution, however, insisted on the most serious measure, noting that after the shooting he had made conscious efforts to conceal evidence and had shown readiness at all costs to avoid punishment.
The investigation shows that the deceased had numerous criminal incidents – systematic robbery of elderly people, theft of mobile phones and assaults with a wooden club. About a year and a half earlier, Lapkov himself had caught him attempting robbery and struck him with a wooden club. After the death of his grandfather, Dimitrov had begun to behave increasingly aggressively, and according to local residents, the former police officer's farm had repeatedly been the target of assaults.
Judge Daniela Sabcheva upheld the request of the state prosecution and remanded the accused in "detention in custody". The case concerning inevitable self-defence and the degree of guilt will continue on its merits. The final decision on the measure of prevention and the future proceedings will be closely monitored by the prosecution and the defence.
Source: 24 chasa
Source: 24 Chasa