Lithuanian man goes on trial over fatal Valencia strangulation triggered by Ukraine war row

The accused is going on trial at the Valencia provincial court on Tuesday, with prosecutors seeking 15 years in prison for manslaughter, aggravated by taking advantage of his physical superiority. To date, the defendant has consistently denied responsibility for the death.

He admits that the they had been drinking and argued over trivial matters while under the influence of alcohol. However, his account, which he is expected to give to the jury, is that the victim was already dead when he woke up. He therefore blames a third person for the killing.

The events due to be examined in court this week date back to July 2023. On the evening of 8 July, the defendant went to a house in Turís with his partner. Along with two other men who were at the property, they drank alcohol for several hours.

During the evening, the defendant and the victim had several heated arguments about the war in Ukraine, as well as personal matters and romantic relationships.

From that point on, accounts differ over who went to bed and when. The prosecution and the private prosecution maintain that, in the early hours of the morning, the defendant and the victim were still drinking inside the house. They allege that the two men then came to blows, hitting each other and breaking a kitchen table and another table in the patio.

Given their aggressive behaviour, the defendant's partner left the house and went to sleep in the car, leaving the two men alone. They continued fighting in the living-dining room, while the third man was reportedly asleep in his bedroom.

At around 6.50am, the defendant and the victim began arguing again. During this latest fight, the defendant allegedly struck his opponent repeatedly in the face, head and across the body, knocking him to the floor. According to the prosecution and the Guardia Civil investigation, the defendant then allegedly acted "with the intention of ending his life", seizing the victim by the neck and strangling him to death.

After allegedly committing the crime and realising that the victim had died, the defendant went to the bedroom where the other man was sleeping. He woke him by striking him in the face and confessed that he had killed the victim.

The witness left the bedroom and found his fellow Lithuanian lying motionless in the living room. He ran out of the house, telling the defendant that he was going to call the police. Before officers arrived, the defendant left the property, went to his vehicle, where his partner was sleeping, and drove away from the town towards Alzira, where they both lived.

When the Guardia Civil found the defendant in Alzira, in the Ribera area, the following day, he had injuries to his face, arms and torso consistent with a fight with the victim.

Toxicology reports showed that the deceased had consumed alcohol and had a blood alcohol concentration of 3.14 grams per litre. The prosecution is relying on this circumstance in seeking the aggravating factor of taking advantage of superior strength.

In terms of civil liability, the public prosecutor is seeking compensation of 125,000 euros for the victim's wife and a further 70,000 euros for his son. The defence denies that its client committed the killing and argues that he was under the influence of excessive alcohol.

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