The defendant Dražen P. Vojvodić was sentenced to a single long-term prison sentence of 40 years for the murder of Vidak Vujović in a cruel and treacherous manner and for illegal possession of weapons.
Novica G. Đikanović was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for two criminal offenses. He was sentenced to five years for the criminal offense of "assisting the perpetrator after the crime has been committed", that is, after Vujović was killed, he, together with Vojvodić, set fire to his lifeless body, and to another six months in prison for illegal possession of weapons.
The first-instance verdict at the Higher Court in Podgorica was pronounced today by the criminal chamber presided over by Judge Veljko Radovanović.
The court accepted the legal qualification of the indictment that the defendant Vojvodić committed murder in a cruel and insidious manner.
Judge Veljko Radovanović said that it was established beyond doubt that Vojvodić committed "aggravated murder" in defense of the defendant Đikanović, and based on ballistics and DNA expertise.
He added that two days after the murder, Vojvodić came to the scene where the body of the murdered man was and that he and Đikanović set the body on fire to destroy the evidence.
The court determined that, based on DNA expertise, it was indisputably established that the gun used to fire the shots contained a biological trace of Dražen Vojvodić.
The court held that Vojvodić killed Vujović in a cruel and treacherous manner, taking advantage of his previous acquaintance with him and his trust.
"By luring him to a secluded spot in Šteka. Four shots hit the injured party, and between the shots, he was telling Vojvodić 'don't, don't'," the judge said in explaining the verdict.
The sentencing took place without any minor incident.
Upon entering the courtroom, and immediately before the verdict was announced, the defendant Vojvodić was smiling as he greeted his family.
This irritated and provoked the Vujović family.
The father of the murdered young man, Vujadin Vujović, addressed his family members several times with the words: "Here, look at the murderer, to see who killed your brother and son."
"Oh, forget it," Vojvodić replied.
After the verdict was announced, the victim's sister, leaving the courtroom, addressed insulting words to Vojvodić: "You have children too, you... you're a disgrace."
The victim's brother attempted to attack Vojvodić, but police and court security reacted in a timely manner, so everything ended without consequences.
After tensions calmed down, Vujadin Vujović apologized to the police officers in front of the courthouse, justifying his son's reaction by saying that his emotions had gotten the better of him.
The indictment states that on March 31, 03, in the village of Šteke, in Podgorica, the defendant Dražen Vojvodić murdered Vujović Vidak in a treacherous and cruel manner, by luring the injured party, according to a previous agreement, to an uninhabited part of the village of Šteke, to an inaccessible place.
"By the defendant Vojvodić Dražen, using their previous acquaintance, drove the injured party to the scene in a 'VW Golf V' vehicle, and when the injured party got out of the vehicle, in his direction, fired at least four projectiles from a 'CZ M57' pistol, four of which hit him. And this was so that between the four projectiles fired, the injured party Vujović Vidak was alive and told the defendant "don't", during which time he suffered severe suffering and severe pain, which the defendant Vojvodić did not do, but continued to fire projectiles at the injured party. After which the defendant Vojvodić fired a projectile that caused fatal injuries to the injured party, which resulted in his death. After that, together with the defendant Đikanović, he poured gasoline on and set fire to the lifeless body of the injured party Vujović Vidak, and then left the scene together. The defendant Vojvodić committed the criminal offense of aggravated murder under Article 144, paragraph 1 "Count I in relation to Article 23, paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro in conjunction with the criminal offense of illegal possession of weapons and explosives under Article 403, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro," the indictment states.
Vujadin Vujović: The defendant has been laughing at me for two and a half years
Vujadin Vujović, the father of the victim Vidak, commented on the verdict for "Vijesti".
"As for the verdict for the defendant Dražen Vojvodić, that's fine, I'm satisfied. But this other Mr. Đikanović, who set my son on fire, got five years in prison, that's shameful for that crime. Setting my son's boyfriend on fire at the age of 23 and getting five years in prison. We will appeal. Đikanović cooperated with the prosecution, when he had to, when all the evidence was there. When the water reached the floor, he 'sang'. He must have been in agreement with the prosecution. I noticed that Vojvodić was laughing when he entered the courtroom. He's been laughing at me for two and a half years. But what can I do? My son tried to attack him. Those are emotions, his brother was killed. I have to respect the law, this institution, the police officers who do what they do," said Vujović.
Rogošić: Defense will appeal
The defense of the defendant Novica Đikanović is in some way satisfied with the first-instance verdict because it is very important that the prosecution recognized in its closing arguments that he cannot be charged with the criminal offense of aggravated murder here, but only with the criminal offense of 'assisting the perpetrator after the criminal offense has been committed,' lawyer Aleksandra Rogošić told "Vijesti".
She added that this is exactly what the defense has been pointing out throughout the entire trial.
"Regarding the sentence, I believe it is still too high. The court did not take into account numerous mitigating circumstances. The defendant pointed out all the facts from the beginning as they were proven. He admitted to committing the crime and cooperated with the court and helped," Rogošić said.
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