A bizarre and unsettling case has emerged from Finland involving a British cyclist who now faces up to ten years behind bars.
The 32-year-old man is accused of killing a 75-year-old gentleman using an axe—a claim he insists was made in self-defense after an alleged attack that left him bound and assaulted.
The Fateful Meeting
It all began on July 27 when the two men met at a local spa in Kauhava.
The cyclist, fresh off the start of his Finnish cycling tour, ended up spending the night in a hotel room paid for by the elderly man.
The following day, CCTV footage captured the 75-year-old buying a new phone for the cyclist and later taking him to his home in Seinajoki, where the younger man even helped out with some gardening.
The Tragic Night
Authorities believe the fatal incident occurred between midnight and 2:14 AM on July 29.
According to the prosecutor, the victim was struck six times with an axe while in bed.
The cyclist, however, has maintained that his actions were a desperate act of self-defense.
He claims that after being tied up and sexually assaulted, he had no choice but to fight back when the victim confronted him at the door with an axe.
A Desperate Escape
Shortly after the incident, the cyclist reportedly fled the scene using the victim’s car.
This vehicle was later discovered abandoned in a ditch outside Kyyjarvi—about a 90-minute drive from the victim’s home.
In a WhatsApp message sent to a friend just before 6 AM on July 29, he oddly blamed the incident on a deer that had “appeared out of nowhere,” adding, “If the cops had come, I would have been screwed.”
The Search and the Suspect
It wasn’t until August 14, nearly two weeks later, that the pensioner’s body was found after concerned relatives requested a welfare check.
Initially, police suspected that the British cyclist had fled the country, but he was eventually located on August 17 in an apartment in eastern Finland, which led authorities to name him as a suspect.
The Alleged Ordeal
During questioning, the cyclist provided a startling account of the events.
He claimed that after the elderly man helped him with a phone issue, he implied that the cyclist owed him a favor—an allusion to sexual services that the cyclist rejected.
According to his version, he later awoke to find himself bound with bandages and discovered that the elderly man had apparently raped him.
He described the situation as horrifying, recalling that once the assault was over and the man started snoring, he managed to free himself by cutting his bonds in the kitchen.
The Confrontation and the Axe
The cyclist further recounted that as he attempted to escape, the pensioner followed him and blocked his way at the door, axe in hand, warning that no one would believe his story if he called the police.
“There was an axe in his hand, and I had no choice but to defend myself. It was either him or me,” he stated.
He went on to explain that he grabbed the axe and struck the man twice.
In his account, the first blow was meant as a warning, not a lethal attack, but he slipped and lost his grip on the weapon.
The second strike, he claimed, occurred when the axe accidentally slipped from his hand, after which he panicked and fled.
Confusing Details About the Weapon
Authorities recovered an axe from the victim’s apartment, but local media reported that it only contained the victim’s DNA.
Interestingly, photos from July 27 showed another axe attached to the cyclist’s bike—a weapon that has yet to be found.
The accused has insisted that he used the victim’s axe in the fatal incident, though his explanations about what happened to the weapon have been inconsistent.
He also denied ever bringing an axe with him on his cycling trip.
Online Searches and Family Reactions
Adding to the perplexing nature of the case, it’s been reported that in the weeks following the killing, the cyclist had been searching online for information about the crime—even before the victim’s body was discovered.
Meanwhile, the victim’s daughter testified in court, expressing disbelief that her father, who was in good health, could have been involved in the events as described by the cyclist.
The Legal Battle Ahead
Now, prosecutors are demanding a ten-year prison sentence for the accused.
The court has ordered a mental health evaluation, with the trial set to resume once that assessment is complete.
During police questioning, the cyclist mentioned that he had been touring Europe to raise funds for British charities and was in Finland working at a friend’s husky farm.
As the trial continues, many questions remain unanswered.
The details of what truly happened that night continue to unfold, leaving both the public and the legal system eager for clarity in this complex and disturbing case.
This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!
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