Lithuanian court upholds minimum sentence for man who stabbed partner’s father to death

Lithuania’s Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal to reduce the seven-year prison sentence given to a man convicted of fatally stabbing his partner’s father, confirming the minimum penalty allowed under criminal law for murder, LRT reports.

Audrius Vilkas, 41, was sentenced last year by Šiauliai Regional Court for the 2024 killing of his partner’s father, identified as V.R. The attack occurred in the early hours of November 17 during a family gathering, when an intoxicated Vilkas—with a blood alcohol level exceeding 1.5‰—became embroiled in a dispute after being barred from driving with his young son.

According to case materials, Vilkas struck V.R. twice in the head before stabbing him 22 times in various parts of the body. The victim died at the scene. Vilkas fled but was later detained. In a separate ruling, he received 40 days’ arrest and a two-year driving ban for drunk driving.

Vilkas’s defence lawyer, Ramūnas Dobrovolskis, argued that even the minimum seven-year term was excessive and appealed for a further reduction. The prosecution, however, noted that the victim’s relatives—recognised as injured parties—had themselves requested the lightest possible sentence. Mitigating factors included Vilkas’s confession, remorse, and voluntary compensation for funeral expenses.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, stating that “given the extremely dangerous and irreversible nature of the crime, imposing a lighter sentence than the statutory minimum would constitute a disproportionate leniency, undermining the principles of justice and the broader deterrent purpose of punishment.”

Court documents describe Vilkas as a university-educated professional working in real estate and transport management, with no prior criminal record and positive character references from employers and neighbours. He lives with his partner and their young child.