Turku Haritu murder trial begins – accused waited in stairwell for hours
A 43-year-old Latvian man is accused of murdering his ex-partner in Turku's Haritu district. The trial began on Tuesday at Turku courthouse.
Prosecutor seeks life sentence for Turku Haritu murder
Yle Uutiset reported that the prosecutor is seeking a life sentence for the 43-year-old Latvian-origin man for the murder of his ex-partner in Turku's Haritu district. The homicide occurred in a private residence in March, and the victim's minor child was present at the time of the crime.
The accused admits to causing his ex-partner's death but denies being guilty of murder. The prosecutor is also seeking a conviction for assault of the child, which the accused admits to.
Police had previously stated that they suspected the man had planned the act over a longer period. For this reason, the criminal charge was changed from manslaughter to murder during the investigation. The accused refused to explain what happened in any way during police questioning.
According to the prosecutor, the man waited for the victim in the stairwell of her residential building for several hours. When the victim and child were leaving the apartment in the morning, the man forced his way inside. He took both of their phones and prevented them from leaving.
The situation in the apartment lasted over two hours, during which the man threatened the woman with death and subjected her to severe violence. The victim died from her injuries. The man was leaving the apartment with the child when a bystander in the stairwell intervened in the situation. After this, the accused left the scene.
Before the homicide, the victim had filed for divorce and fled to a women's shelter with the child in December. The man is also accused of a serious sexual crime against the child, the trial for which began on Tuesday behind closed doors.
Source: Yle Uutiset