2024-02-22 20:23:52
I have no questions for you, Mr. Judge, said the defendant in his last word
42-year-old Daniel Mashev from Pazardzhik, who on September 30, 2022 killed his mother Emilia by slapping her, then stabbing her with a knife and finally cutting off her head with a saber, is insane and cannot bear criminal responsibility. This was also shown by the additional forensic psychiatric and psychological expertise appointed by the Court of Appeal in Plovdiv, before which Mashev appealed his life sentence, read by the first instance.
“He suffers from a mental disorder, which is characterized by a prolonged disorder of consciousness. It was also the case at the time of the deed in question, Mashev did not understand the nature and significance of his actions and was unable to direct them,” explained Dr. Margarita Panova. The man had taken drugs for long periods of his life, but according to experts, his mental problems were not due to drug use alone. “Even in prison, in an environment where he is not under the chronic influence of narcotic substances, he behaved in a way that made him dangerous to himself. That is why he was sent for compulsory treatment in the psychiatric hospital attached to the prison in Lovech.” , added Dr. Raina Dimitrova. However, Mashev’s condition was such that the psychiatry in Lovech sent a letter to the prison in Pazardjik that he should be treated in a specialized state hospital.
During this examination, the prosecutor in the case, Svetlozar Lazarov, stated that there is no other way out of the case, except for Mashev to be acquitted as a person who cannot bear criminal responsibility. Mashev’s lawyer Kiril Aleksandrov agreed and added that his client should be forcibly treated.
The capital murder defendant listened to what was being said in the courtroom and nodded. When he was given the last word, he asked if he would be returned to the hospital in Lovech. Judge Hristo Kracholov explained to him that this will be decided yet. “I have no questions for you, Mr. Judge,” Mashev said then, and this was recorded as his last word.
In the end, the appellate magistrates overturned the life sentence given to him in Pazardzhik. Mashev was sent for psychiatric treatment immediately. The decision is subject to challenge before the Supreme Court, but with the unanimity of the prosecution and the defense, it is unlikely that there will be an appeal and a protest.
After the brutal murder, Daniel Mashev wrapped his mother’s head in a sheet and left the apartment. He met his father on the stairs, hiding his hands behind his back. After that, he disappeared and was detained later in the Pazardzhik village of Lyahovo. The father, Kostadin Mashev, discovered the decapitated body of his wife in the apartment.