Pensioner Jiri Pasovsky will spend eight years in prison for the February 2003 shooting of the consul of the Nigerian embassy and his secretary, judge Miroslava Strakova ruled yesterday. Pasovsky committed murder and attempted murder, she said. His defence counsels immediately appealed.
Pasovsky shot and killed the Nigerian consul and wounded a secretary in the Nigerian embassy in Prague. He broke down after the crime, which he allegedly committed because of being defrauded by the so-called Nigerian letters scam.

At first he was prosecuted in custody, but experts later found him to be insane and the state attorney had him placed in a psychiatric care facility. She halted prosecution and recommended that Pasovsky be placed in permanent care, a recommendation which experts rejected.

Eight years ago, alleged representatives of Nigerian firms offered Pasovsky investment opportunities. He lost a great deal of money in the transactions, including money he had borrowed, and his family was threatened.

Pasovsky regularly came to the Nigerian embassy to try and get the money back. On the day of the murder, the consul allegedly offered to help Pasovsky if he would receive half the money in question. This angered Pasovsky. He testified that the consul jumped on him and started to strangle him, which is the last thing he remembers.