Kohtla-Järve Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Killing Acquaintance in Estonia
The Viru County Court in Estonia sentenced 52-year-old Pavel Molodtsov to nearly nine years in prison for killing an acquaintance and drunk driving. The ruling has not yet come into force.
The Viru County Court in Estonia on 14 October sentenced Pavel Molodtsov, a 52-year-old resident of Kohtla-Järve, to nine years in prison. He was found guilty of killing an acquaintance and of driving a car while intoxicated. The case was reported by the Russian-language service of Estonian public broadcaster ERR, Rus.ERR.
Killing during a drinking session
According to the case file, on 23 August 2025 Molodtsov was at home in Kohtla-Järve drinking alcohol with a longtime acquaintance. During the session he stabbed the man in the chest with a kitchen knife. The victim died at the scene from the wound.
In addition, Molodtsov was detained in the summer of 2023 for driving while drunk.
Sentence and appeal
Five days that he had previously spent in custody were deducted from the sentence. The final term is therefore eight years, 11 months and 25 days in prison.
The verdict has not yet entered into force. It can be appealed to the Tartu Circuit Court, the first-instance court told Rus.ERR.
