At a preparatory meeting on July 12, 2021, the Debrecen General Court pronounced a verdict in the case of the accused who, with special cruelty, beat the victim to death in Debrecen.
At the preparatory hearing, the prosecutor made a moderate motion on the content of the sentence – a 16-year prison sentence – if the accused makes a confession and waives his right to a trial. The man admitted to committing the crime in accordance with the indictment and waived his right to a trial, which he accepted by court order.
The court of first instance found the accused guilty of the crime of manslaughter with particular cruelty and therefore
He was sentenced to 14 years in prison and banned from practicing public affairs for 10 years. The man may be released on parole at the earliest on the day following the completion of three-quarters of the sentence.
According to the facts established by the court, the accused and his partner had been homeless in Debrecen since March 2020. They decided that they would make a living from begging. Shortly after their arrival in the city, they noticed that there was a ruined building at the intersection near the crime scene where no one lived, so they moved there. They both drank regularly, and on the day of the crime, on July 12, 2020, they also headed to a grocery store around 5:30 a.m. to buy themselves liquor after opening.
They set off on foot, and then on Erzsébet Street, at the stairwell entrance of one of the condominiums, they noticed a homeless man sitting there.
The accused went to the victim and asked him for a lighter. The victim then suddenly stood up and struck the 27-year-old man with a fist without saying a word. The accused became enraged and began to wrestle with the victim. The accused slipped on a muddy sidewalk from the rain, fell backwards, and dragged the victim to the ground. The 27-year-old man was able to stand up quickly, then trampled the victim’s face lying on his back several times with great force.
The victim lost consciousness, the accused then left him alone and left the scene. The accused’s partner was close to the crime, repeatedly calling on the man to stop abusing the victim. A causal relationship could be established between the injury suffered and the death of the victim. The man’s life could not have been saved by the prompt and professional medical help he used early.
Judge Dr. Péter Horváth said during the reasoning of the judgment that compared to the completion of the proceedings in the framework of the preparatory hearing, the court found the prosecutor’s moderate motion regarding the imprisonment to be executed excessively. The court assessed as a mitigating circumstance that the man had behaved in a remorseful manner and provided for the maintenance of two minor children. It took into account as an aggravating circumstance that the accused had previously been convicted of acts with a criminal record, mainly against property, and had committed the crime while intoxicated.
The decision of the tribunal is not final. The prosecutor’s office filed an appeal against the verdict for aggravation, while the accused and his counsel took note of the decision. The court maintained the arrest of the accused until the end of the second instance proceedings, the case continues at the Debrecen Judgment Board.
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