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The Panevėžys Regional Court has announced its verdict in a criminal case in which former police officer Ivanas Karpickas was found guilty of the attempted murder of his uncle, theft of another person's vehicle, driving under the influence (severe intoxication), unlawful possession of weapons, and causing physical pain to a medical worker.

For these crimes, the court imposed a final aggregated sentence of 8 years of imprisonment on Ivanas Karpickas. The defendant, who had been subject to lighter restrictive measures during the proceedings, was taken into custody immediately in the courtroom.

The chain of horrific events began on August 27, 2025. After visiting relatives, Ivanas Karpickas and his uncle left by car for the Ignalina train station, from where the defendant was supposed to return home. The vehicle was driven by a friend of the victim's uncle.

There were no conflicts during the trip; however, Ivanas Karpickas unexpectedly wrapped his left arm around his uncle from behind while the latter was sitting in the front passenger seat, restricting his movements. Holding a tourist knife, which is banned from civil circulation, in his right hand, Ivanas Karpickas began slashing his uncle’s face and neck area.

Tragic consequences were averted only due to the active resistance of the driver, who stopped the car, struck the attacker in the face, and managed to free and push the injured man out of the cabin. The driver later used a backpack to knock the knife out of the attacker's hands, while the injured uncle managed to flag down a passing ambulance.

Meanwhile, Ivanas Karpickas jumped into the abandoned car, fled the scene, and rammed a service vehicle when police attempted to pull him over. The aggression continued inside the ambulance following his arrest – while lying on a stretcher, he kicked a medical worker providing him aid three times in the head. Furthermore, a subsequent search of his home safe uncovered an unregistered gas pistol.

The court completely rejected the defense's version that the defendant had no intent to kill and that the injuries were caused accidentally. The court's rationale emphasized that the strikes were aimed at vital organs and that the uncle was attacked suddenly while buckled into his seat belt, which restricted his ability to defend himself.

In assessing the defendant's state of awareness, the court highlighted that Ivanas Karpickas had worked in the police force for a long time and therefore fully understood the consequences of his actions.

When passing sentence, the court took into account an aggravating circumstance – the defendant's severe state of intoxication, which led to his aggressive and unpredictable behavior.

The court also imposed penal measures on the defendant – it was decided to recover a sum corresponding to the value of the stolen car used in the commission of the crime, amounting to EUR 3,500, and he was banned from driving vehicles for 4 years.

The victimized medical worker was awarded EUR 1,000 in non-material damages, and the illegal weapon and knife were confiscated and will be destroyed.

This verdict of the Panevėžys Regional Court may be appealed to the Court of Appeal of Lithuania within 20 days.

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