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For cynical behavior towards others, resisting law enforcement officers, death threats, and other crimes, the Panevėžys Regional Court upheld the actual three-year prison sentence imposed on Tomas Grigaliūnas, a resident of Panevėžys, by the court of first instance.

The panel of judges of the Regional Court stated that the court of first instance thoroughly and impartially evaluated the entirety of the collected evidence and imposed a fair and reasoned sentence that corresponds to the severity of the crimes committed.

According to the case file, over a short period, Tomas Grigaliūnas committed as many as eight criminal acts, including six intentional minor offenses (nesunkūs nusikaltimai), one less serious offense (apysunkis nusikaltimas), and one misdemeanor.

One of the incidents occurred at a "Norfa" shopping center, where the man misappropriated someone else's property. The convict placed groceries into a shopping basket and left the store without paying.

Although the man contested the amount of damages awarded in his appeal, claiming that the store had unjustifiably included the value of the plastic shopping basket, the court dismissed this argument. Since the goods were taken together with the basket, which is the property of the shopping center, the final material damage of EUR 117.75 caused to the retail chain was recognized as fully proven.

On the same day, police officers received orders to detain the suspect at his place of residence. Upon arrival, the uniformed officers introduced themselves, presented their badges, and explained the grounds for the detention. However, Tomas Grigaliūnas ignored the demands, lied about his identity, and began actively resisting by using physical violence.

Evading detention, he aggressively attacked a female officer, grabbed her by the hair, dragged her, and threw her to the floor, injuring her hand and knees. When another officer attempted to defend his colleague, the attacker punched him in the face, causing physical pain and facial swelling. Following this assault, the convict locked himself inside the apartment.

Due to their injuries, both officers required urgent medical assistance, and temporary incapacity for work was subsequently certified for one and two weeks, respectively.

In his appeal, the convict attempted to contest this fact, calling the periods of incapacity excessive; however, the court noted that exceptional health requirements apply to the work of law enforcement officers.

The direct link between the injuries and the treatment was proven by medical documentation. Consequently, the convict was ordered to pay nearly EUR 1,400 in material damages to cover the sickness benefits paid by "Sodra" (the Board of the State Social Insurance Fund) and the treatment costs of the victims.

Other bystanders also experienced the convict's aggression. The court examined an episode during which Tomas Grigaliūnas, without any justifiable reason, beat his neighbor, choked him, and caused a realistic fear for his life by threatening to throw him out of the window, hang him, or burn down the apartment.

Due to this terror and psychological trauma, the socially vulnerable victim was forced to move out of his residence and seek psychological counseling. The court awarded the neighbor EUR 1,500 in non-material damages plus statutory interest.

Furthermore, a civil claim by another victim for glasses valued at EUR 479, which the convict damaged during the assault, was fully satisfied. The court dismissed the defense's arguments that the glasses were not new, noting that the victim would be forced to spend an amount no less than the valued damage to purchase glasses performing identical functions.

During a verbal altercation with another neighbor, Tomas Grigaliūnas intentionally sprayed tear gas, causing physical pain.

When considering the sentencing, the court drew attention to the negative character profile of Tomas Grigaliūnas. The man had prior convictions and had previously received a lighter sentence – restriction of liberty – but he deliberately evaded it, which led to it being commuted to arrest.

Evaluating the convict's request to mitigate his legal liability, the panel of judges noted that "the entirety of the data undoubtedly characterizes the convict negatively, demonstrating that the convict did not offend by chance, but due to an established negative value orientation."

The court rejected the request to suspend the execution of the sentence or to grant exemption from criminal liability through reconciliation, as the convict had reconciled with only some of the victims, and his promises to seek employment were deemed declarative since he is unemployed.

The ruling of the Panevėžys Regional Court enters into force on the day of its pronouncement.

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