The Kyustendil District Court has ordered a "house arrest" measure for Stoyan Igov, the owner of the horses that caused a serious accident near the village of Yabalkovo at the end of last year, BNT reported. An 18-year-old girl died in the accident.
The charge against the 70-year-old man is that he did not take sufficient care of the animals he was keeping, which resulted in the serious road accident.
Initially, the Prosecutor's Office insisted on the most severe measure of "detention in custody", but in the courtroom today it became clear that after the inspections of the scene of the accident and given the deteriorating health of the accused, they are inclined to a lighter measure. The defense requested a cash bail or a signature. The judge in the case, Tina Malinova, noted that from the evidence collected so far, a reasonable assumption can be made that the 70-year-old Igov is complicit in the accusation and, given the high public interest in the case, ordered the second most severe measure of "house arrest".
In the courtroom, Stoyan Igov stated that he would not run away or hide. He asked to see photos of the accident because he believes that not all the horses involved in the incident were his. On leaving the courtroom, he remained silent.
The law provides for up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 10,000 leva, if his guilt is proven.
The measure is subject to appeal to the Kyustendil District Court until January 15.