The Chervonohrad City Court of Lviv sentenced a local resident who killed his 16-year-old brother with a disability.
The attacker inflicted severe injuries on the minor, which resulted in his death. The court sentenced the 35-year-old Chervonohrad resident to seven years in prison.
According to the verdict, which was published in the court register in August, the incident occurred on 26 February 2024 in Chervonohrad. According to law enforcement officers, 35-year-old ex-soldier Anatolii Khodakovskyi was drunk and, while in his apartment, inflicted numerous blows to his minor brother with a disability on his body and head. The 16-year-old boy died of severe injuries. The police initiated criminal proceedings against the attacker under Part 2 of Article 121 of the Criminal Code.
In court, the defendant pleaded not guilty and said that he had been living with his 16-year-old brother in the apartment since October 2023. Anatolii Khodakovskyi stated that his brother had mental disorders and could self-injure, drink chemicals, etc. The defendant admitted that he had been out with friends that day and had been drinking alcohol. He stated that in the evening, when he came home, he saw a mess, and his brother was in the kitchen screaming. The resident of Chervonohrad claims that he did not respond to the scream and went to the room to listen to music, half an hour later he came to the kitchen and saw that his brother’s hands were bruised and he had blood on his head. He tried to provide him with medical assistance by pressing his knee on his chest. After that, he called the police and an ambulance. Anatolii Khodakovskyi claims that he did not beat his brother and that they had a normal relationship.
The case was heard by Judge Vitaliy Grabovsky, who examined all the evidence, testimony of neighbours and information about the accused, who is a former military man. In particular, the father of the defendant’s wife told the court that Anatolii Khodakovskyi had been committing domestic violence against his wife and children. The defendant’s aunt reported that he had always taken care of his minor brother and had taken him out of the orphanage.
The judge, having examined all the evidence and expert opinions, sentenced the defendant to seven years in prison, with the sentence to be served from the moment of his arrest on 26 February 2024.
The verdict can still be appealed.