A brutal murder of a 45-year-old woman in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk region. Two servicemen, hailing from Krasnodon and Konstantinovka, have faced trial, accused of committing this serious crime. During the court proceedings, the accused admitted their involvement in the murder but insisted that the fatal injuries were inflicted in self-defense. The details of this incident, as presented in court documents, depict a scenario of intense conflict that culminated in the tragic death of the woman. This information is reported by "Vydamo".
According to the case materials, on October 6, 2024, while in the kitchen and under the influence of alcohol, one of the suspects, a serviceman, got into a conflict with the victim and a junior lieutenant. The situation escalated sharply when the suspect left the kitchen and brought a pistol from the bedroom. Upon returning, he fired a shot, but the bullet struck the wall. This seemingly absurd accident was merely a prelude to the ensuing tragedy.
According to the testimonies of the accused, the victim, fearing for her life, grabbed a folding knife from the table. At the same time, the junior lieutenant, attempting to intervene in the conflict, picked up a stool and struck the woman on the head. The victim's fall to the floor was critical—the accused, taking advantage of the situation, snatched the knife from her and delivered no fewer than thirteen blows to the neck and chest areas. These blows were fatal.
A medical examination confirmed the horrifying consequences of the incident. The victim sustained a depressed skull fracture, multiple penetrating stab wounds to the left side of the neck, damaging the neck's organ complex, superficial and deep veins, and vessels. She died at the crime scene. The brutality and randomness of the inflicted blows indicate clear aggression, which casts doubt on the self-defense claim made by the accused.
During the trial, one suspect, acknowledging his guilt in the alleged events, expressed regret over what happened and admitted his mistake in failing to report the crime to the police. However, his words cannot justify the brutality of the act committed. The court is thoroughly examining all circumstances of the case, including witness testimonies, examination results, and other evidence, to establish the truth and make a fair decision.
The self-defense claim put forth by the accused raises many questions. The presence of a pistol, the initial shot fired at the wall, and then the use of a knife to inflict multiple fatal blows—all of this points to an escalation of conflict rather than actions taken in self-defense.
The court must carefully analyze all the nuances of the situation to determine the degree of guilt of each of the accused and to establish whether the actions were indeed carried out in a state of necessary defense or amounted to intentional murder under the influence of alcohol.