Defendant throws metal-filled bag at judge, smashes protective glass in Kauno court

A defendant in a high-profile drug trafficking case threw a metal-filled bag at a judge and shattered the protective glass barrier in Kauno Regional Court on Monday, the court confirmed in a statement.

The incident occurred during closing arguments in a trial involving large-scale possession and organised smuggling of psychotropic substances into Marijampolė Prison. The defendant, previously convicted nine times for violent, property, and drug-related offences, demanded the presiding judge be removed from the case before launching the attack.

No injuries were reported, but the court emphasised the incident underscores long-standing concerns over inadequate security measures in Lithuanian courts. “Such cases increasingly demonstrate direct threats not only to judges but to all court staff, trial participants, and observers,” the statement read.

Danguolė Bublienė, chair of the Council of Judges and head of Lithuania’s Supreme Court, called the attack “a clear signal that court security in Lithuania is critical.” In a social media post, she noted that the Council has requested funding for security upgrades since 2019 but has yet to receive any allocation.

Bublienė highlighted that most Lithuanian courts lack permanent physical security, while routine screenings in one court detect around five dangerous items—such as knives, brass knuckles, or box cutters—attempted to be brought in weekly. “We are not asking for luxury or excessive measures, but for basic safety standards already common in other institutions,” she wrote, stressing that security affects all court visitors, including lawyers, prosecutors, witnesses, journalists, and the public.

The court reiterated calls for strengthened protective measures, particularly in trials involving serious and organised crime, following repeated incidents of aggressive behaviour and violent outbursts.