Turkish man in Teplice confirmed to have fourteen-year sentence for Croatian murder, courts reject self-defence claim
Fifty-five-year-old Hüsnü Özay fired at an acquaintance in the basement of a house. He claimed he was defending himself, but the appeals court dismissed his version. The verdict is final.
Turkish man in Teplice confirmed to have fourteen-year sentence for Croatian murder, courts reject self-defence claim
Prague's regional court of appeal confirmed the fourteen-year murder sentence on Wednesday for Hüsnü Özay. The fifty-five-year-old businessman of Turkish origin, who has been living long-term in the Czech Republic, will serve the sentence for last year's shooting in Teplice, according to Novinky.cz.
The incident occurred two years ago in the basement of an apartment building in Teplice's Trnovany district. Özay invited an acquaintance Croatian and his girlfriend to a barbecue. During the visit, he lured him into the cellar, where an argument broke out between them. According to Özay, it was about money.
During the dispute, the Turk drew a legally held semi-automatic pistol and fired three times. The bullets struck the victim in the back in the abdomen, chest and buttocks. He originally faced charges of manslaughter, but the Ústí regional court reclassified the act as premeditated murder.
Özay maintained throughout that he was defending himself. He claimed he thought the other party was reaching for a weapon and wanted to shoot him only in the hand. He claimed the pistol jammed and fired twice accidentally. Expert reports, however, refuted his testimony.
The courts concluded that the act was premeditated. Özay did not usually carry a weapon, but had it with him during his friend's visit. Moreover, he was aware of the Croatian man's violent history – the victim had previously been convicted of violence and threats against his former wife. His girlfriend, meanwhile, had confided her concerns about her own life to Özay.
At the appeal hearing, the convicted man arrived in restraints and with a mask over his mouth, which he had put on in protest. The presiding judge Robert Fremr said the defence was completely disproven and confirmed that the sentence was not unreasonably harsh. After the verdict was announced, Özay began shouting that it was a scandalous trial.
The verdict is now final. Özay must pay nearly nine hundred thousand crowns to the two children of the murdered man as compensation.
Source: Novinky.cz