Murder accused's situation like "Godfather III", defence team say

A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court heard closing arguments concerning a fatal stabbing outside Longford Shopping Centre in November 2016. Rihards Lavickis, a 26-year-old with an address in Longford, is charged with murdering Akadiusz Czajkowski. He has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The defence argued that the accused lacked the necessary intent to kill or cause serious injury, noting he stabbed the deceased three times before stopping when the man fell to the ground. Counsel submitted that a series of incidents, including threats to the accused's family and damage to his home, constituted provocation. The prosecution contended that stabbing someone in the chest naturally risks death or serious injury, and that the accused had time to plan the attack between discovering a broken window and carrying out the killing. The jury was charged and sent to consider its verdict.