'Belgorod Shooter' case review continues in suspect's absence

The third day of the hearing of the "Belgorod shooter" case began in the absence of the suspect. An aide to the chairperson of the Belgorod region court Irina Sazonova said defendant Sergei Pomazun had been led out of the courtroom for aggressive behavior before the prosecutors had presented their evidence. The presentation of the evidence is expected to continue until the end of this week. The aide said judge Nikolai Kudinov had to take this measure because of Pomazun's behavior from the first days of the trial. He kept insulting witnesses, using invectives in the presence of an underage witness. "The defendant ignored the warnings issued by the judge and his lawyer," Sazonova noted, adding that "he even threatened the judge." The trial is open. Police with sniffer dogs at the entrance search everybody who enters the courtroom. At the first hearing, Pomazun refused to apologize to the victims' relatives, saying he had no intention to "humiliate himself." Pomazun's father did not turn up for the hearing. He had told the investigator that his son, after serving a sentence in prison, did not behave adequately: he talked to himself and burnt all family and army photos. Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said the psychiatric expert examination had found Pomazun sane. The SK said Pomazun had gone on a shooting rampage because of "hooligan motives." At around 11:00, on April 22, Pomazun opened a safe in his house to retrieve his father's Vepr-308 hunting rifle and at least 144 rounds of ammunition. On the same day, he drove to the hunting equipment shop in Narodny Bulvar /Parkway/ in Belgorod at 14:20, Moscow time, entered it and killed two shop assistants and a visitor. He then stole two self-loading hunting rifles Tigr and more than 250 rounds of ammunition. As he was leaving the shop, Pomazun shot at passers-by, killing a man and an underage girl. Another girl died in hospital later in the day. Pomazun was detained near the Belgorod railway station in the evening of the following day. He stabbed the police officer who was detaining him at least four times. He was charged with murder of two or more persons for hooligan motives, concealing crimes, illegal turnover of weapons, theft of weapons and ammunition, an attempted murder of law-enforcement officer. Pomazun is facing life imprisonment. The suspect was released from prison in December 2012 after serving a four-year sentence for theft.