Case against Georgi Semerdzhiev over, pleadings of prosecution and defence expected today

The Sofia City Court will hold a hearing in the case against Georgi Semerdzhiev, accused of the crash, which killed two young female pedestrians last July on Cherni Vrah Boulevard in Sofia. 

Today the pleadings are expected, from which it will become known what punishment the prosecution insists on and what the court will ask the defence. The court should then hand down a verdict.

According to experts in the case, Semerdzhiev was driving at more than 160 km/h. The full stopping distance at that speed was more than 190 meters, the experts said in the courtroom. The forensic psychiatric examination revealed that in a conversation with a psychiatrist, Semerdzhiev said he had occasionally used amphetamine, methamphetamine and other substances, and that he may have taken methamphetamine five to seven days before his arrest.

At the previous hearing, Georgi Semerdzhiev gave an explanation for the first time in court. He said he did not remember anything about the day of the crash. He also stated that he did not use drugs - neither on the day of the accident, nor before. Semerdzhiev added he was not driving the car that crashed. He said he was driving it for another person who wanted to try it out so he could rent it. He said there were three people in the car. The defendant added that he asked the driver to slow down before the impact. Semerdzhiev failed to explain how he got home after the incident. In his words, his only recollection is how he was arrested, yet denied he had fled the scene of the crash.

From the explanations given to the court, it became known that there were discrepancies with other statements of Semerdzhiev given four days after the accident - on July 9. At the time, he said he had been abducted by a man named Lachezar. This happened on the day of the incident at around 17:00. He had a rag over his mouth and did not remember anything after that. His only recollections at the time were that police officers raided his home, beat him and electrocuted him.

When this testimony from July 9 was read, Semerdzhiev said he did not remember it. And then, when asked if he had ever used drugs, he said he had used cocaine.