Image: Marja-Liisa Kämppi / Yle

Police were on Tuesday looking for a 51-year-old man convicted of killing two people by drowning in a lake, Viinijärvi, in North Karelia after he failed to turn up to his sentencing hearing.

Pekka Seppänen of Kontiolahti was given a total of 14 years and six months in jail after he was convicted of two counts of manslaughter, three of attempted manslaughter, pimping, assault and alcohol crimes.

Detective Chief Inspector Kimmo Wetterstrand of Eastern Finland police department told Yle that Seppänen was being sought by several police patrols on Tuesday morning. Wetterstrand added that it was by no means unusual for a convict to disappear when he or she was sentenced.

Seppänen's defence lawyer, Jukka Ketonen, also reportedly said that he had no information about his client's whereabouts. Seppänen had been remanded in custody in November 2016, but was released by order of the Eastern Finland Appeal Court in mid-January, following an appeal by his lawyer.

The court found that there was insufficient concrete evidence to warrant his continued detention, and that there was no probable cause to suspect he had committed the crimes of which he was accused - and later convicted.

Image: Heikki Haapalainen / Yle

Left boaters to sink or swim

The court found that in 2007, 2010 and 2011 he had taken people out on the lake in his boat, capsized it knowing they were weak swimmers and that they were drunk, and swam ashore.

In each case in 2010 and 2011, one person died after the boat was overturned. Prosecutors had sought a total of 15 years in prison for Seppänen. The prosecutor sought a psychological evaluation, but the defence lawyers said that was unnecessary. The defendant denied the manslaughter charges brought against him.

During the trial, prosecutors claimed that a total of seven people had died in unclear circumstances at the man's farm and cottage. Tabloid daily Ilta-Sanomat reported that the defendant had been described as exercising a certain degree of power over his immediate circle.

According to the paper, at least six of the witnesses or parties in the case asked to testify from behind a screen - one of them was a police officer.