A 58-year-old man from the wider Kaštela area was sentenced to four years and one month in prison in a non-final verdict in Split because he threatened his partner for months in May and June of this year to kill her, and then on June 14th kicked her in the ribs so hard that he broke three of her ribs.
A waiter who worked on the ship and his partner lived together in an abandoned space next to the former Hotel Zagreb in Duilovo. According to the victim's statements, the man grabbed her by the throat at least ten times, saying he would strangle her, and sometimes threatened to slaughter her with a knife.
The woman described the relationship in court as turbulent. At first, she said, her partner would grab her by the neck "like a game," but the threats soon became serious and daily.
The climax came on June 14 at dawn, around 5:30 a.m. When the woman tried to get out of bed, the man kicked her in the right side of the chest for no reason. The next day, she went to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with a serial fracture of the sixth, seventh, and eighth ribs with displaced fragments. The hospital reported the case to the police.
A forensic expert confirmed that the injuries were caused by a high-intensity blow, consistent with a kick. The man denied guilt.
"I didn't hit her," he told the court, claiming they were just sharing space together. The court rejected his defense.
A psychiatric expert determined alcohol addiction and impaired mental capacity, as well as a risk of recidivism, so he was sentenced to mandatory treatment in prison for up to three years. The court revoked his previous suspended sentence for threats.
"After I get out, I will be at the Center for the Homeless in Kaštela," the defendant said. The verdict is not final.
Photo: Canva/Foto kreativa portal.hr
