Tyumen Man Accidentally Shoots Girlfriend with Shotgun

In Zavodoukovsk, a court has handed down a verdict in the case of a woman«s death, shot by her cohabitant Vladimir G. The tragedy occurred in the village of Topolevka. According to the investigation, the intoxicated man intentionally shot the woman in the head with a hunting shotgun during an argument. The weapon was unregistered—it had been inherited from his grandfather.

As per court documents, everything happened in the yard of the house. In the evening, the couple was drinking alcohol. At some point, the man asked his girlfriend to bring the shotgun and cartridges, which were stored in a cabinet. He loaded the double-barreled shotgun and cocked the hammer.

According to the defendant, he wanted «just to check the weapon»s functionality.« But the woman allegedly tried to take the shotgun and pulled it towards herself. At that moment, a shot was fired. The shot hit her in the head.

«The deceased said, «Let me take the shotgun away,» after which she grabbed the shotgun with her hand and pulled it towards herself, while the defendant was sitting on the sofa and the woman was standing opposite him. At that time, when the deceased jerked the shotgun towards herself, a shot was fired, and she fell. The defendant saw blood on her and immediately called a paramedic,» according to court documents.

After the shot, the man, as per testimony, removed the shells from the shotgun—one he put in his pocket, the other he hid in a canister. Then Vladimir called the paramedic and reported: «I shot my wife.»

The woman with severe injuries was taken to the regional hospital. Despite doctors« efforts, she died in intensive care. The examination showed: the parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes of the brain were crushed.

The couple had lived together for about 18 years. However, the man was officially married to another woman. Conflicts between the cohabitants occurred regularly, especially during drinking sessions. Neighbors and relatives knew that the woman sometimes left home after arguments.

In court, the Tyumen man partially admitted guilt. He insisted that the killing was committed through negligence and that he had no intent to take the woman«s life. He said that he loved her and wanted to marry her.

The investigation, however, concluded that the man was aware of the danger of his actions and fired intentionally. The court found him guilty of murder and sentenced him to nine years in a strict-regime correctional colony.

Earlier we reported that in Tyumen, the trial of 35-year-old Sergey—a city resident who killed his parents in the village of Golovina—has concluded. He was given 18 years in a strict-regime colony, according to the Tyumen Region prosecutor«s office. Also, the court granted the claims of the deceased»s relatives for compensation of moral damages totaling one million rubles (approximately $11,100 at current rates).