Banker 'stagged to death' in attack by rampaging deer

Police later shot the animals and took away its antlers as a 'murder weapon' for forensic tests.

The 24 year man - who has not been named - was suddenly attacked after entering an enclosure at the farm in Vargater, Tomsk region, to take pictures of farm equipment linked to a bank loan. The stag immediately attacked an killed him. 

'The young man entered the fenced area, where the equipment was along with a few Siberian stags,' said the Investigative Committee, in charge of serious cases.

'One of the stags attacked the young man, striking him with antlers. The young  man died on the spot.'

The farmer - who was not present -  denies he gave the banker permission to enter the enclosure in his absence.

Roman Ushakov said: 'This stag never showed any aggression to people. When they are mating they sometimes lift up the head, walk in circles ... but I do not know what one needs to do to make the stag to rush to the people. 

'Maybe he (bank employee) angered or teased the stag somehow, or I do not know...' 

'The bank did not even call me, I did not know that they will come,' he said. 'If he had spoken to me, I would have warned him that he should not go there.

'He was unaccompanied. He came with a driver. The driver drove him to a certain place, and stayed in the car. Of course, no one expected this.'

The stag was shot soon after the attack. Law enforcement officials 'demanded to 'withdraw' the antlers as a murder weapon. 

'And how can you withdraw them? It was decided to shoot the animal, chop off the antlers, and they were taken as a murder weapon.'