Man Who Shot Teen Girlfriend Dead Because She Wanted To Break Up With Him Gets 30 Years After Russian Roulette Excuse Dismissed

A man who shot his teen girlfriend in the head and tried to claim they had been playing Russian roulette has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for femicide.

Leonardo Pereira dos Santos, 31, was handed his sentence by the Court of Justice of the Federal District in Brazil on Monday, 25th October.

The court found him guilty of femicide and illegal possession of a firearm and sentenced him to 28 years and one year and nine months in prison respectively as well as issuing him a fine.

Gabrielly da Silva Miranda who was murdered in a game of Russian roulette in Brazil in 2020. (Newsflash)

The fatal incident took place in a house in the administrative district of Samambaia in the Federal District at around 5.30 am on 14th January last year.

The victim was Dos Santos’ girlfriend, 18-year-old Gabrielly da Silva Miranda. According to the local Public Prosecutor’s Office, he shot her dead because she wanted to break up with him.

His legal team has said it has already appealed the sentence, arguing that he merely handled the gun recklessly, believing it was unloaded at the time.

Gabrielly da Silva Miranda who was murdered in a game of Russian roulette in Brazil in 2020. (Newsflash)

Judge Viviane Kazmierczak said the defendant “controlled, manipulated, harassed and physically and verbally assaulted the victim” throughout their five-year relationship.

The length of their relationship means Dos Santos would have been in his mid-twenties and Miranda only in her early teens when they started going out.

According to reports, Dos Santos has an extensive criminal record for crimes including larceny, drug trafficking, criminal damage and even murder.