The criminal trial against a man accused of killing one and attempting to kill several others in a hit-and-run incident in downtown Helsinki last July began Tuesday at Helsinki District Court.
The man faces one charge of murder, five counts of attempted murder and an aggravated driving to endanger charge.
The charges stem from an incident one summer evening last July, in the heart of downtown Helsinki, along the city's main thoroughfare at the intersection of Mannerheimintie and Lönnrotinkatu.
Grim details
The 52 year-old man allegedly drove his car into a group of people who were walking across Lönnrotinkatu at a zebra crossing.
The prosecutor said that when the car hit one of the women, she flew up over the vehicle's bonnet and when the man slowed down the car, the woman fell in front of it.
Then, the man allegedly continued driving the vehicle and dragged the woman along the street a distance of 230 meters, the prosecutor said. The woman died on the scene.
After his vehicular rampage, the man parked the car and went in to a nearby restaurant, where he was soon found and apprehended by police.
Police initially suspected the man was drunk at the time of the incident but, following a preliminary investigation, was found to be sober.
The prosecutor said the man's actions were so vicious and cruel that the charges should be considered aggravated, and has demanded the man receive a life sentence in prison.
Defendant recounts gruesome events in testimony
In court testimony, the defendant said he was only guilty of manslaughter and driving to endanger.
He told the court that at the time of the hit-and-run he was suffering from a panic attack and was psychotic.
"I didn't understand the consequences about what I was doing. I only understood that it could end up badly," he told the court on Tuesday.
The defendant testified that his car ride began at the Senate Square, which is several hundred meters from where the pedestrians were hit. He said he realised he was driving too fast as he drove down Aleksanterinkatu [the city's popular shopping avenue].
"When I reached Stockmann's clock [main entrance of the department store] people were running out of the way, but no one got hit. There were a few close calls but I thought that no one would get run over. When I hit the first person I noticed that I'm hitting pedestrians, too," the man told the court.
After he drove beyond the zebra crossing, the man said he noticed people on the car's bonnet.
"I didn't know someone was being dragged under the car"
"I saw two people lying on the bonnet, but continued to drive and did not know that someone was being dragged under the car. I first saw the body once I stopped the car, which was very unpleasant. Before that I was wondering why I couldn't steer the car normally," he told the court.
The man voiced regret for his actions in his testimony and apologised to the victims.
"I could have done a million things differently and I didn't want to hurt anyone," he said.
The prosecutor noted that when he was first questioned by police the man said that he had wanted to kill someone, but the defendant claimed on Tuesday he said that because he was having a panic attack at the time.
Victims of the hit-and-run also testified on Tuesday. One woman said she never noticed the approaching car until it hit her.
Accused denies he was trying to kill
The prosecutor said the defendant faces attempted murder charges because he intentionally ran down five people at the zebra crossing. The surviving victims suffered internal injuries, broken bones and bruises, according to the prosecutor.
The accused is also suspected of aggravated driving to endanger charges, because the man was driving at well above the speed limit, ran red lights and ignored traffic signs in the area.
The posted speed limit in the area where the hit-and-run took place ranges between 30 to 20 km/h and the car was being driven at a speed of at least 60 km/h, according to the prosecution.
The trial will resume at Helsinki District Court next Monday.
