Court sentences Utena man to 18 years for killing mother

A 50-year-old Utena resident has been sentenced to 18 years and one month in prison for killing his mother to obtain money for drugs and alcohol, LRT reported, citing the prosecution.

The man, identified as I. A., was convicted of killing a close family member for selfish motives. He had previously been convicted nine times.

The crime took place in an apartment building in Utena last April. I. A., who lived with his mother, was under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he strangled her in order to steal her property.

After the killing, he sold some of his mother’s belongings and spent the money on drugs and alcohol. The following morning, he invited an acquaintance to the apartment and offered to sell him his mother’s television.

When I. A. went into his mother’s room to look for the television remote, the potential buyer saw the woman’s hand through the partly open door. The man fled the apartment and called the police.

Officers from the Serious Crimes Investigation Division of the Utena County Chief Police Commissariat conducted the pretrial investigation. Prosecutors from the Criminal Prosecution Division of the Panevėžys Regional Prosecutor’s Office led the investigation and represented the state in court.

The Panevėžys Regional Court convicted I. A. on September 10 and imposed the combined sentence of 18 years and one month in prison. The ruling may be appealed to the Lithuanian Court of Appeal within 20 days of its announcement.