Murder in Alaud: The defendant requests release from pre-trial detention due to health issues.

For the seventh year, the Central District Court of Mykolaiv is continuing the proceedings in the case of the murder of 35-year-old Alena Shcherban at the Paromny Descent. During a hearing that took place on Friday, January 31, the prosecutor requested an extension of the preventive measure for three defendants.

This was reported by a correspondent from "Novosti-N".

The prosecutor sought to extend the preventive measure for Arthur Vatsman in the form of detention in a pre-trial facility without the right to bail, while for Ivan Piharev and Yelizaveta Semerykova, he requested house arrest.

In the request, the prosecutor outlined several risks that could arise if a more lenient preventive measure were chosen for the defendants. Specifically, regarding Arthur Vatsman, he noted that the defendant is accused of a crime that could result in a 15-year prison sentence, which means he might evade law enforcement. Furthermore, he is unemployed and was previously a suspect in a robbery case in 2017. It was also mentioned that the man got married after being detained in the pre-trial facility, and that during the investigation, Alena Shcherban's phone and earrings were never found.

After the prosecutor's speech, defendant Arthur Vatsman took the floor and requested the judges to apply a more lenient preventive measure. According to him, he has encountered health issues, and his wife and mother are also ill. The defendant emphasized that his family needs a provider.

- I protest, as there is no evidence of any risks. None of them have been proven. I have not been hiding. Regarding employment, yes, I was not officially employed, but I have proof that I was involved in car reselling. Taxes were paid. About a week and a half or two ago, I couldn't get out of bed. I consulted with the medical unit, and they provided me with antibiotics. My wife is sick; I have official documents, and my mother is disabled. How are they supposed to live?... I ask to change the preventive measure to a more lenient one, - said Arthur Vatsman.
Additionally, the defendant expressed his outrage that the prosecutor included an "old case" in the risks, where he was accused of stealing a phone.

- He took my old case, where I supposedly stole a phone or something similar. But why? At that time, I had two phones – the iPhone 6 and 7. At that time, the iPhone 7 was the latest model. I also had a car worth about 40 thousand dollars. Why would I steal a phone worth 300 or 500 dollars? Taking an old case is pointless – there is no evidence. It is closed, - said the defendant.

The defendant's lawyer requested that the preventive measure for Arthur Vatsman be changed to house arrest. The defense also provided the court with medical documents confirming health issues for Arthur Vatsman, his wife, and mother.

As reported, the mutilated body of 35-year-old Alena Shcherban was discovered on the night of August 1 at the Paromny Descent, which is more commonly known in Mykolaiv as Aiaudsky Descent. Suspects in this crime were detained from Odesa: two young men (aged 18 and 22) and an 18-year-old girl. The victim was a resident of the Vytiv district and worked at "Epicenter." That day, she had received an invitation to meet from a familiar man. The romantic meeting by the river turned into a brutal murder: the familiar young man, along with his younger friend and girlfriend, brutally beat the unfortunate woman using a bolt cutter. It was this tool that caused her head injury, which led to her death. They also removed her gold jewelry, watch, and took her mobile phone.

During a reconstruction, Arthur Vatsman stated that it was Ivan Piharev who struck Alena Shcherban, not him. During the same hearing, the results of forensic examinations were reviewed, which indicated that on the bolt cutter used to kill the woman, in addition to the victim’s blood, biological material belonging to Arthur Vatsman was found. No traces of Piharev or Semerykova were found on the murder weapon.