Stipe Petrina receives conditional prison sentence

Stipe Petrina, the mayor of Primošten, has been handed a non-final conditional prison sentence of one year by the Municipal Court in Zadar. The ruling comes nearly 20 years after the initial proceedings began, just days before the statute of limitations was set to expire.

The conviction stems from a 2006 incident in which Petrina and a municipal utility worker used a chainsaw to cut down HEP power line towers on Gaj Hill. The action resulted in the loss of television, radio, and mobile signals for residents of Primošten. The legal action was initiated by T-com and Odašiljači i veze.

Under the terms of the sentence, Petrina will avoid imprisonment provided he does not commit a new crime within the next five years. He is also ordered to pay damages totaling approximately 190,000 euros: over 167,000 euros to the former T-Mobile and 25,000 euros to Odašiljači i veze. The court also accused Petrina of systematically obstructing the trial for nearly two decades by avoiding hearings and requesting the recusal of judges and defense counsel.