Taavi Sõnajalg to remain in custody after late June shooting

Taavi Sõnajalg in court on Wednesday. 25 July, 2018.
Taavi Sõnajalg in court on Wednesday. 25 July, 2018. Source: Siim Lõvi/ERR

Tallinn Circuit Court on Wednesday decided that Taavi Sõnajalg, 34, who opened fire on another individual in front of a bar in Central Tallinn in late June, is to remain in custody.

Harju County Court took Sõnajalg, son of energy businessman Oleg Sõnajalg, into custody on 2 July. The court found that, based on the evidence presented to the court, the criminal allegations against him were justified.

Defence lawyer Sven Sillar applied for the court decision to be annulled and the defendant to be released.

The circuit court, however, agreed with the county court's decision and left the defendant in custody. Although the defendant's weapons permit has since been revoked, the court found that it could not be ruled out that Sõnajalg would not use violence against another person again.

Sõnajalg shot a 26-year-old man in the arm during a fight that broke out on the morning of 30 June in front of a bar in Central Tallinn. The victim was taken to hospital, where he was treated and thereafter released to home care.

Information collected in the course of the investigation thus far indicates that an argument broke out between the men that approached a group of people standing in front of the bar, which escalated into a physical conflict and was not one-sided. Sõnajalg then retrieved from a vehicle a SIG Sauer firearm registered to his name and shot the victim. He also pointed the firearm toward people standing on the street in front of the bar, who were shocked and scared into taking cover behind nearby vehicles or running away.

Police arrested the suspect at the scene of the crime.

Editor: Aili Vahtla

Source: BNS

Hea lugeja, näeme et kasutate vanemat brauseri versiooni või vähelevinud brauserit.

Parema ja terviklikuma kasutajakogemuse tagamiseks soovitame alla laadida uusim versioon mõnest meie toetatud brauserist: