Staviiski's Final Sentence to Be Passed in a Month

Crime | September 24, 2008, Wednesday // 00:00
Bulgaria: Staviiski's Final Sentence to Be Passed in a Month "I work for about 15 hours a day now so that I could help Manuela," skater Staviiski said Wednesday. Photo by Kameliya Atanasova (Sofia Photo Agency)

Bulgaria's Supreme Court is to pass within a month the final sentence against ice skating champion Maxim Staviski over causing a heavy car crash that killed one man and injured another three last year.

The decision was taken after Wednesday's hearing on the case, held after prosecutors from the coastal city of Burgas filed an appeal against the Appellate Court's ruling to confirm Staviiski's suspended sentence imposed over involuntary manslaughter and aggravated bodily harm.

In the beginning of February, the sportsman was given a 2,5-year suspended sentence and five years to be served in probation over drunk driving and causing a deadly road accident.

The crash occurred on August 5 last year after the skater veered into the opposite lane on a bridge over the Ropotamo River near Burgas and crashed headlong into another car with four people riding in it. At the time of the accident, Staviiski had 1,29 per miles of alcohol in his blood.

The hit took the life of Petar Petrov, 24, while one of his passengers - 18-year-old Manuela Gorsova was in coma for almost a year.

The lawyer of Gorsovi family demanded a longer sentence to be imposed on Staviiski as well as extra compensations.

On his way out of the courtroom, the skater refused to comment on the recent reporters' revelations, proving Manuela's father, Krassimir, has gambled away part of his daughter's donations.

"I could not judge anybody. All of us have some sins," Staviiski said.

He has also denied the accusations against him, claiming he sits behind the wheel while working in Russia.

"I do not drive either in Bulgaria, or in Russia. I just moved my car from the parking of a skate ring to another one several times but only within the territory of the sport complex I work in in Moscow," he explained.

"I work for about 15 hours a day now so that I could help Manuela and the other people concerned," the skater ended.

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