Emergency Services Staff Give Contradictory Accounts of Accused Murderer's Behaviour in Osijek
At a retrial of a former police officer charged with the death of a female student, the emergency response team gave differing descriptions of his condition at the scene.
Emergency Services Staff Give Contradictory Accounts of Accused Murderer's Behaviour in Osijek
At a retrial hearing against a former police officer charged with the death of a 21-year-old student in Osijek in September 2023, members of the emergency medical services team gave different impressions of how the accused behaved when they arrived at the address.
Ambulance driver Luka Novaković testified that the accused showed no signs of distress. When he asked him about the victim's condition, he received an answer in a flat tone: first affirmative, then negative, then uncertain. Novaković clarified that the report had concerned a possible suicide by firearm, and according to his experience, people in such situations typically hurry and seek help, which was not the case here.
He also found it strange that the weapon was lying on a table if it was a suicide, whilst the victim was on a sofa. Because of these circumstances, after the doctor confirmed death, they decided not to move anything until the police arrived in order not to interfere with the investigation.
On the other hand, medical technician Tomislav Ujević had a completely different impression. According to his observation, the accused was shaken: he walked down the corridor, went in and out, held his head, and the expression on his face showed that he was affected by the event. Ujević emphasised that this was his personal assessment, not a professional diagnosis.
The defence counsel for the accused objected to the driver's testimony, pointing out that assessments of mental state can only be made by court psychiatric experts.
The proceedings continue at the beginning of September. As a reminder, the first-instance court had previously handed down a sentence of 18 years imprisonment, but the appellate court overturned that decision in February of this year and ordered a new trial. The indictment alleges that the accused shot the student, with whom he was in a romantic relationship, on 20 September 2023 in his own flat using his service pistol.
Source: Index.hr
Source: Index.hr