A wedding party ended in tragedy after a new bride was beaten to death by the groom in front of terrified guests in Russia.
Stepan Dolgikh, 33, has been arrested on suspicion of beating wife Oksana Poludentseva, 36, to death on the day they got married in Novosibirsk.
Witnesses at the wedding said the beating began when the groom became ‘jealous’ of another guest at their alcohol-fuelled wedding party in a private house in Prokudskoye village, Novosibirsk region.
It was alleged he accused his new wife of “behaving incorrectly” with the guest.
Chief investigator Kirill Petrushin told NGS news agency: ‘He began to punch and kick her outside the house.’
‘He continued to attack her inside the house. He grabbed her by the hair, hit her, pushed her out into the street, where he also continued to strike her body and head.’
When she appeared lifeless ‘he dumped her into a nearby ravine’.
Other guests were reportedly too scared to intervene but they were able to call law enforcement to the scene and the groom was arrested by the Russian National Guard.
Dolgikh confessed to the killing, said Petrushin, senior regional detective of the Russian Investigative Committee.
‘He beat her for a long time, in front of witnesses, and struck her vital organs – in the torso and head,’ he told journalists. ‘He fully admitted guilt during the investigation.
‘As for repentance…. I cannot comment. I personally do not believe he repented.’
He said: ‘In a state of alcoholic intoxication, due to jealousy, he developed a hostile attitude towards his wife.
‘He was jealous of one of the guests. It seemed to her husband that she behaved incorrectly, which caused a scandal.’
The bride got to know Dolgikh while he was in prison for murder and robbery and believed that she could help to reform him, police said.
‘The deceased woman knew about his criminal record,’ said Petrushin. ‘They met while he was serving a sentence in prison for previous crimes.’
He added: ‘She did not think that while drinking alcohol or just in a fit of anger, a person like this may go over the limit and commit a serious crime.’
