Latvian court upholds life sentence for man who killed his mother while under drug influence

The Riga Regional Court has reviewed the case of a killing committed in May 2024 and decided not to alter the life sentence previously imposed on the convicted man, identified in the court calendar as Rolands Kalējs.

The first-instance court had already sentenced the man to life imprisonment and ordered him to pay 50,000 euros in moral damages to the victim's family. The regional court's ruling can be appealed in cassation within ten working days after the full ruling is issued, currently scheduled for September 8.

Circumstances of the crime

According to the prosecutor's office, the man is accused of killing his mother with particular cruelty. On May 13, 2024, while under the influence of narcotic substances, he came to his mother's private house and struck her head and body multiple times with a hard blunt object. He then strangled her, causing mechanical asphyxiation, and finally cut her throat with a sharp object.

The man is also charged with cruelty toward his mother's dog — after killing his mother, he used a sharp object to cut the animal's throat as well.

The accused testified that his motive was hallucinations caused by drug use. However, evidence gathered during the pre-trial investigation indicated that he was capable of understanding and controlling his actions at the time of the crime.