ZAGREB COURT KILLING SPREE ZAGREB, Nov 10 (Hina) - The prosecution on Friday asked for the highest sentence to be imposed for Mato Oraskic, accused of the triple killing in a court-room at the Zagreb municipal court last year. On
Friday both the defence and prosecution gave their closing speeches. Prosecutor Branka Piscevic-Nadu asked for the highest sentence of 40 year-long imprisonment to be passed and that the defendant Oraskic must undergo psychiatric treatment. Prior to his closing speech Oraskic's defence lawyer Dragutin Gajski asked for psychiatrist's evaluation of Oraskic's condition which the defendant previously refused a few times. This time the court dismissed such possibility. Prosecutor asserted that all evidence proved that Oraskic committed a killing spree when he shot his wife, the judge Ljiljana Hvalec and his wife's lawyer Hajra Prohic dead during divorce proceedings, and wounded a court clerk. The acc
ZAGREB, Nov 10 (Hina) - The prosecution on Friday asked for the
highest sentence to be imposed for Mato Oraskic, accused of the
triple killing in a court-room at the Zagreb municipal court last
year.
On Friday both the defence and prosecution gave their closing
speeches.
Prosecutor Branka Piscevic-Nadu asked for the highest sentence of
40 year-long imprisonment to be passed and that the defendant
Oraskic must undergo psychiatric treatment.
Prior to his closing speech Oraskic's defence lawyer Dragutin
Gajski asked for psychiatrist's evaluation of Oraskic's condition
which the defendant previously refused a few times. This time the
court dismissed such possibility.
Prosecutor asserted that all evidence proved that Oraskic
committed a killing spree when he shot his wife, the judge Ljiljana
Hvalec and his wife's lawyer Hajra Prohic dead during divorce
proceedings, and wounded a court clerk.
The accused was seen entering the court on the day of the tragedy. A
gun was found with him which he possessed illegally. A ballistics
expert irrefutably asserted that bullets were shot from that gun
and it was confirmed that gunpowder's particles were found on
Oraskic's hands, the prosecutor said.
Oraskic, a former policeman, denied the crime and claimed that he
had not been at the court at all on that day and asserted that the
police planted that gun to him.
The accused does not suffer from mental illness, and he decided to
murder his wife, since he brought the gun with ammunition to the
court. He shot directly at every victim, as there is no evidence on
possible traces of bullets' rebounding, the prosecutor added.
Oraskic's attorney said he could not justify that crime either as a
man or as a lawyer but it was his legal obligation to defend him. He
said the gun and summons for the trial hearing in the divorce suit
were not found on Oraskic but they were in the car. Lawyer Gajski
asserted that the court failed to conduct the investigative
procedure in detail and carefully as it did not accept Oraskic's
proposals and did not carry out the expert examination of
biological traces on his clothes and footwear.
Gajski believed that in case of such serious crimes as this killing
spree was, the court should not allow that any hint of suspicion
occur. The lawyer said his client suffered from a psychosis and was
near diminished responsibility.
Representatives of the family of the killed judge Ljiljana Hvalec,
lawyer Hajra Prohic and of the wounded court typist Stanka
Cvetkovic also insisted on the highest sentence, adding that
Oraskic was lucky that Croatia had no capital punishment.
Judge Jambrovic prolonged the detention of Oraskic in custody and
the defendant is expected to give his closing speech on Monday.
(hina) jn ms