2024-07-15 11:12:55
Stefka Stefanova was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison after pleading guilty
In the Plovdiv District Court, the trial against Stefka Stefanova from Kazanlak, who caused an accident on the Sub-Balkan road, in which her mother Ruzha Tsvetkova and the resident of Plovdiv Lyubomir Lyubomirov, died. In January, the woman pleaded guilty to the magistrates and was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison. However, the Court of Appeal overturned the verdict and remanded the case for a new trial.
The fatal accident happened on September 4, 2020, at the junction for the Karlovo village of Kurtovo. Stefanova’s car was moving fast, entering a sharp turn at a speed of 136 km/h. on wet pavement and caused the accident. The woman and her mother traveled from Kazanlak to Sofia to meet her son, who was returning from England. The woman overtook two cars before reaching the turn, where she hit Lyubomirov’s car head-on. He and Tsvetkova died on the spot. In the courtroom, the wife of the Plovdiv citizen Boryana stated that in 3 years the driver did not call her to express her condolences.
The punishment Stefka Stefanova received was reduced by 1/3 for pleading guilty. In addition to prison, her license was revoked for 4 years. He also had to pay BGN 48,000 for a lawyer for the private prosecutors.
The sentence was appealed and overturned at the second instance. The appellate judges indicated that initially the case started according to the general procedure, but after the withdrawal of one of the court hearings, a new dispositional hearing was held and the trial ended in a shortened procedure. According to the law, this cannot be done.
On July 11, in front of the District Court, Stefka Stefanova’s lawyers again requested that the case be heard under the abbreviated procedure. “After the start of the case according to the general procedure, it is inadmissible to proceed to abbreviated proceedings”, said judge Miglena Markova. She added that since Stefanova was brought to criminal liability with the same indictment, the request of the defense and the defendant cannot be respected.
The trial will continue on August 8.