Representational image.
Tallinn:
An Estonian court on Tuesday sentenced a 16-year-old to nine years in jail for killing his German language teacher in the small EU member's first-ever school shooting, court sources said.
The youth -- identified only as Vahur -- admitted during the closed-door trial to gunning down 56-year-old Ene Sarap last year in the southern town of Viljandi.
He used his father's handgun to shoot Sarap several times during class at the Paalalinna school on October 27, 2014 in front of four other students, none of whom were harmed.
Vahur stayed in the classroom until the police arrived and did not resist arrest. He spent two months in a psychiatric ward before being found mentally fit to stand trial.
His lawyer Mihkel Gaver, who plans to appeal the sentence, said during the trial in the eastern city of Tartu that there was no question Vahur committed the crime.
But he argued that the teacher's behaviour towards his client had been "offensive" and claimed Vahur was "temporarily outraged" when his "suppressed emotions surfaced".
Prosecutor Kaire Hanilene argued however that there was nothing to indicate that Sarap had provoked Vahur or harassed him in the past.
She said Vahur planned the murder methodically and has since failed to show any sincere remorse.
She is mulling an appeal of her own in the hopes of securing the maximum sentence of 10 years in jail.
The youth -- identified only as Vahur -- admitted during the closed-door trial to gunning down 56-year-old Ene Sarap last year in the southern town of Viljandi.
He used his father's handgun to shoot Sarap several times during class at the Paalalinna school on October 27, 2014 in front of four other students, none of whom were harmed.
Vahur stayed in the classroom until the police arrived and did not resist arrest. He spent two months in a psychiatric ward before being found mentally fit to stand trial.
His lawyer Mihkel Gaver, who plans to appeal the sentence, said during the trial in the eastern city of Tartu that there was no question Vahur committed the crime.
But he argued that the teacher's behaviour towards his client had been "offensive" and claimed Vahur was "temporarily outraged" when his "suppressed emotions surfaced".
Prosecutor Kaire Hanilene argued however that there was nothing to indicate that Sarap had provoked Vahur or harassed him in the past.
She said Vahur planned the murder methodically and has since failed to show any sincere remorse.
She is mulling an appeal of her own in the hopes of securing the maximum sentence of 10 years in jail.
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