Rihards Lavickis on trial for murder after stabbing

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Rihards Lavickis is on trial for murder at the Central Criminal Court. The proceedings were reported on 16 February 2018.

He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Akadiusz Czajkowski. The State did not accept his manslaughter plea. The charge concerns Mr Czajkowski’s death at Rue Noyal Chatillon, Townspark, Longford, on 1 November 2016.

Detective Garda Joe Esler said he interviewed Lavickis at Longford Garda Station on 1 and 2 November 2016. Lavickis told gardai that he owed Mr Czajkowski €300 and that Mr Czajkowski had beaten him with knuckle dusters. He also said Mr Czajkowski had threatened him and his girlfriend.

Lavickis said that, after finding his home’s window smashed on 1 November, he believed Mr Czajkowski was responsible, armed himself with a knife and went looking for him. He told gardai he wanted to teach him a lesson and face him one on one.

The report said Lavickis ran at Mr Czajkowski with the knife and stabbed him in the chest. Lavickis told gardai he had initially thought he would frighten him but, when the knife was out, decided to use it.

The trial was due to continue before Justice Una Ni Raifeartaigh and a jury of six men and six women.