Court remands two men over Sastamala manslaughter case

The Pirkanmaa District Court has remanded two men in custody on probable cause of manslaughter in Sastamala, Yle reported.

The remand hearings were held separately behind closed doors on Wednesday afternoon, without the public present. The men listened calmly to the decisions remotely from the police detention facility in Tampere.

The suspected manslaughter took place on Saturday, August 1, in a private residence in central Sastamala. Police have released few details about the case.

Charges must be brought by October 8 at the latest.

Both men have criminal records

Both men have previous convictions for various offences.

The 40-year-old man’s convictions mainly involve drug offences, while the 49-year-old has a history of serious violence and repeated aggravated drink-driving offences.

The 40-year-old has grown cannabis and drug mushrooms, driven into a bridge railing while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and strangled a man.

The 49-year-old has twice hit a woman on the head with the blunt side of an axe. His criminal record also includes two other assault convictions. In one case, he swung a fire poker at a victim, and in another he hit a man in the face in a stairwell.

He also has four convictions for aggravated drink-driving between 2014 and 2018. His highest recorded breath-alcohol reading was 3.78 per mille.