Prosecution appeals in highly publicized hit-and-run case

Prosecution appeals in highly publicized hit-and-run case

Jovanovic, a 21-year-old, was with a group of friends when their Lada broke down on the bridge. He was hit by the Mini Countryman as he was pushing the car into the emergency lane and died of his injuries the next day.

The prosecution is now seeking either a retrial, or a modification of the verdict "particularly with regard to the criminal sanction," spokesman Ivan Markovic told Tanjug on Friday.

He said that the prosecution wanted Milic sentenced to ten years in prison - bearing in mind the gravity of the crime committed, the fact the defendant instructed others how to behave after the incident, and had prior convictions for other crimes.

The complaint has also been filed due to what the prosecution sees as substantial violations of criminal procedure. The defense also has a right to appeal. The appeals will be considered by the Appellate Court in a public session.

The court may uphold, modify, or abolish the verdict, and order a retrial.

The Third Basic Court in Belgrade sentenced Milic to 4.5 years in prison last October, after he was found guilty of committing a grave crime against traffic safety while drunk-driving and speeding, and of failing to stop and help his victim. The court also banned him from operating a motor vehicle for the duration of three years.

Bratislav Vesovic was sentenced to one year in prison for hiding Milic and helping him to hide the car he was driving during the accident.

Pink Taxi driver Sasa Jankovic received a suspended sentence of seven months for failing to report that the accident took place.

The case caused a lot of media attention last summer, given that Milic fled the country after the incident and was arrested in China a month later, and promptly extradited to Serbia.

A controversy that emerged during the trial was the fact the Mini Countryman was never found. The car is believed to have been legally "irregular" and eventually disassembled.

In September 2014, a judge of the Third Basic Court in Belgrade decided that five friends of Milic who were with him in the car when the accident happened should be kept under house arrest, ranging from four to ten months. The five had cut a deal with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them.