The higher court in Podgorica sentenced Lazar Nedović and Per Laličić, from Cetinje, to single sentences of 18 years and 10 months, respectively 17 years in prison for the aggravated murder of fellow citizen Bogdan Milić, as well as the wounding of Dragan and Goran Vušurović and Marko Vujacić on June 11, 2019. ..
The verdict was pronounced after a repeated trial, after the Appellate Court of Montenegro annulled the first instance decision.
Nedović and Laličić were each sentenced to 16 years in prison for aggravated murder and aggravated attempted murder, while Nedović was sentenced to one and a half years in prison for two crimes - illegal possession of weapons. Laličić received a year and a half in prison for the same crime.
Defendant Mitar Marković, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison by the first verdict, was acquitted today of the charge of helping Nedović and Laličić in the murder of Milić.
The defendants Mošo Paović and Žarko Pejaković, as in the previous verdict, were acquitted of the charges for participating in this criminal act.
The first-instance verdict was pronounced today by the criminal panel of judge Nenad Vujanović.
In explaining the verdict, the judge said, among other things, that during the proceedings it was proven that Nedović and Laličić were responsible for the murder of Milić and the wounding of Vušurović and Vujačić.
"Nedović fired several projectiles at Milić, causing him five gunshot wounds from which he died, while Laličić fired several shots at Vušurović and Vujačić with the intention of killing them, after which both defendants fled," said judge Vujanović.
Material evidence
Judge Nenad Vujanović said in the explanation of the verdict that the conviction against Nedović and Laličić was based on material evidence.
He added that the key evidence for the conviction were the traces of the defendants that were found on the shell casing found at the place where the crime took place, as well as weapons and silicone masks that were found in a backpack buried in Špadijerski vrh.
"Experts have shown that the DNA on the shell casing and items from the backpack belong to Nedović and Laličić. And this was key evidence for the court," said judge Vujanović.
Presenting their defense before the court, the defendants Nedović and Laličić said that after basketball training, they went to the apartment of a friend who was celebrating his birthday.
"A friend brought a bag and took out silicone masks and weapons. He told us that a guy from Podgorica had brought them to him to give them to a man from Cetinje. Then we put those masks on our faces and touched the weapons, in order to entertain the girls," he said. was formerly Nedović.
The judge said that the defendants' decision not to reveal the name of the person with whom they were at the birthday party and in whose alleged possession the items from the backpack were the reason why the court considered their claims unconvincing.
"It was expected that the accused would state who that person was because everything might have been different. The court does not see their decision not to reveal the person's identity as more reasonable even though on the other hand they are threatened with a high prison sentence, which is why he did not believe their claims." said judge Vujanovic.
He added that the prosecution did not provide any evidence that the accused in this case were members of a criminal organization.
"The accusations of the prosecution in this case represent a general abstraction because there is no evidence of the existence of a criminal organization, how it was formed, who ordered the serious murder of Milić and the attempted murder of three people. It is indisputable that Nedović committed the murder of Milić, but it has not been proven that he did it as a member of a criminal organization organization," Judge Vujanović pointed out.
The judge stated that the prosecution did not provide any evidence that Mitar Marković helped in the murder of Milić.
"The defense attorney was right when he said that the accusation against Marković was based on legally invalid evidence. It was not proven that Marković was in contact with the weapon from which the shots were fired and which he allegedly handed over to Nedović and Laličić. In addition, no facts were offered which would indicate that he helped the perpetrators of the crime by providing accommodation," concluded judge Vujanović.
The first verdict sentenced them to 47 years in prison
In a previous first-instance verdict pronounced in December 2022, the defendants were sentenced to 47 years in prison for the murder and wounding of three young men in Cetinje.
The defendant Nedović was then sentenced to a single sentence of 19 years in prison. He was sentenced to 16 years for the criminal offense of "felony attempted murder", as the legal qualification of the offense stated, for one year and six months for illegal possession of weapons, and two years in prison for another criminal offense of illegal possession of weapons.
The defendant Pero Laličić was then sentenced to a single sentence of 17 years in prison for "aggravated attempted murder" and illegal possession of weapons.
The defendant, Mitar Marković, was then sentenced to 11 years in prison for "aggravated attempted murder by aiding and abetting" and illegal possession of weapons.
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