Plzeň: Son high on meth stabs brother to death and wounds father — trial begins

In the Slovany district of Plzeň, a trial has opened into a bloody tragedy that took place two years ago: a 29-year-old man, under the influence of methamphetamine, attacked his father and brother with knives. His brother died of his injuries, while his father survived by what can only be called a miracle.

According to investigators, the defendant developed toxic psychosis after prolonged drug use, which he claims left him unable to control his actions. "I don't remember anything," the man told the court, asking that all hearings proceed without his presence. He is currently undergoing court-ordered treatment at a psychiatric hospital in Dobřany.

Father described the attack to police

The defendant and his parents refused to testify in court, but the father had already given a detailed account to police during the investigation. He said he heard his son talking to himself in the next room and went to check whether he had missed taking his prescribed medication. "He got terribly angry... he was rude. I didn't expect it — he punched me in the eye," the victim recalled.

The father explained that his son had struggled with drug addiction for years, using methamphetamine, which had already caused hallucinations and led to psychiatric hospitalization in the past. "It was as if he'd turned into some kind of monster. His face looked completely different. He wanted to kill me," the man said, describing the moment the conflict erupted.

The second son did not survive

According to the father, the 29-year-old attacker came at him with two kitchen knives. "He was swinging his arms around like a man possessed," the victim recounted. Case materials show that the family's second son intervened in the fight — and did not survive his brother's attack.

The brothers' mother also declined to testify in court, saying she could not remember the details of that day. However, she had given a statement earlier, during the preliminary investigation. She said nothing had hinted at the tragedy to come: "The sons were talking, laughing with each other." Then the conflict flared up. "He grabbed the knives and started stabbing. It was as if something snapped in his head — I still can't understand it," said the woman, who ultimately escaped the attack unharmed. Her husband, she said, survived almost by miracle.

Prosecutor seeks six years

The defendant, who was unemployed and financially dependent on his parents, could face six years in prison along with mandatory psychiatric treatment, according to the prosecution's demand. The trial will continue with the questioning of expert witnesses.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz