Gabrijela Cickovic, owner of a nursing home in the town of Andrasevac north of Zagreb, where six residents were killed in a fire in January 2020, was sentenced by the Zagreb County Court on Thursday to four and a half years in prison pending appeal.

Cickovic also has to pay 100,000 kuna in court costs.

In separate proceedings, the families of three victims seek 780,000 kuna in damages for the death of their parents.

Cickovic was accused of failing to ensure proper care for infirm residents, assigning only one carer per night shift for all 25 beneficiaries.