The court found the pair, both male minors, guilty of the intentional murder of a man in a cruel and torturous manner in the village of Tammiste, Pärnu County, last August.

According to the indictment, both individuals, who for legal reasons cannot be named, struck the 59-year-old victim at least 50 times all over his body, and humiliated him in various ways.

The pair also part-recorded their actions on a smartphone, which the court found further degraded the victim.

This material was then edited and sent to social media contacts, reaching a wider audience in the process.

One of the points of dispute during the trial was how many blows each of the boys specifically inflicted, ie. their individual contribution to the overall crime.

The court found that the defendants' contributions to the violent acts, both cruel and torturous, were equal.

The court also found unconvincing the defense's claim that no blows other than those seen in the video of the incident presented to the court had been inflicted.

This claim did not correspond with the overall examined evidence, the court found.

Sentencing is based on the severity of the guilt of the individual.

Under Estonian law, a minor can be sentenced to a minimum of eight years and a maximum of ten years in prison for murder.

The court determined that while the defendants' guilt could be described in slightly different terms, the severity was the same, warranting equal punishment.

The court took into account that the defendants had expressed remorse about the incident as a mitigating factor, but only minimally and in part, taking into consideration their level of understanding as minors.

In conclusion, the court found that the murder, committed in a cruel and torturous manner, had been proven.

The sentence would apply retroactively from August 26, 2024, the county court announced.

The defendants are also liable to mandatory state fees of €2,215.

The court ruling has not yet entered into force.

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