22.08.2018

 

A five-member panel of the Varna District Court did not accept the request for replacement of the sentence imposed by Vassil Dotkov "life imprisonment" by "imprisonment" for 30 years, which he served for the killing of two pensioners in November 2013.

 

In May 2016, Varna District Court convicted Vassil Dotkov for the fact that on 23.11.2013, in Varna, in a dangerous relapse, deliberately killed more than one person - Nikolay K. and Elka P. in a dwelling on "Buzludja" Str. "The court imposed a" life imprisonment "penalty on him to serve in a special regime in prison.

 

The man was also found guilty of the second indictment: the removal of foreign movable property from the possession and property of Nicholas K. and his wife, without their consent, with the intention of misappropriating them, as the act was committed in a dangerous relapse. The three mobile phones that were withdrawn were worth 110 leva. The murdered Elka P. was a family friend visiting the adult family at the time of the murder.

 

The verdict of VOS has been confirmed by both higher courts - Varna Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Cassation.

 

At the moment 55-year-old Vasil Dotkov has served in prison 4 years. 6 months and 24 days.

 

As a justification for the application of imprisonment, his defense pointed to the two underage children for whom he had to take care and who could not pay maintenance. Given the regime of serving a punishment, Dotkov has no way of working and earning income to pay his debts, his lawyer pointed out.

 

The prosecutor's office pointed out that the material prerequisite for replacing "life imprisonment" with "imprisonment" was not fulfilled, namely that the convict had served at least 20 years. of the punishment.

 

Before the court in his defense, Vassil Dotkov pointed out that he is the only university graduate among prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment in the Varna prison and has the lowest risk of recidivism "I have two underage children for whom I am sentenced to pay maintenance but I'm not allowed to work and I can not take care of them, "he supported his request.

 

Vasil Dotkov graduated from the Mathematical High School in Varna and has a higher education in economics. There are 4 children of two marriages, two of them minors.

 

In support of the request, his lawyer added that if "life imprisonment" was replaced by "imprisonment" for 30 years, given his age, he would hardly live to go free, but would be able to participate in the public life and take care of their children.

 

Varna District Court admitted the request, but dismissed it as it considered that there was no absolute substantive legal prerequisite for replacing the life imprisonment with a "deprivation of liberty" - the convict had served at least 20 years. of the punishment. Due to this circumstance, the court panel did not find it necessary to consider the submitted complex assessments.

 

The Varna District Court can be appealed and challenged before the Varna Court of Appeal.