MOSCOW, March 24 (RAPSI) – A court in Belgorod on Thursday sentenced a Belgorod clinic’s ex-surgeon, Ilya Zelendinov, who punched a patient with a lethal strike, to 9 years and 2 months in penal colony, RIA Novosti reported.
The court also prohibited Zelendinov from practicing medicine for three years.

Prosecutors asked to sentence Zelendinov to 10.5 years in penal colony, while defense was seeking a suspended sentence, insisting on requalification of the article he was tried under to “Causing death by accident”.

“Zelendinov, having medical education and experience, knew for certain about the potential consequences for the victim’s health that could have come from striking a person in a vital body part – neck, yet neglected them,” investigators noted.

According to investigators, the incident happened on December 29, 2015 when a man who later became a victim was put in a clinic. During one of the procedures a man allegedly kicked a nurse which prompted Zelendinov to come to her defense. Expertise showed that victim died from еру acute heart failure caused by a strike in the neck.

No signs of psychological disorders were found during Zelendinov’s examination.