Murderer of three gets life sentence

RIGA - The Riga Regional Court handed Pavels Kurganovs a life sentence for killing thee people and confiscated his property.

The court also ordered the accused to pay nearly 900 lats (EUR 1,280) in compensation to the relatives of his victims.

The man reportedly was homeless and did not have a place of residence.

The court ruling can be appealed before the Supreme Court within ten days of July 14.

A total of 49 people are already serving life sentences in Latvia.

Kurganovs, who pleaded not guilty in court, was tried for aggravated murder, a criminal offense carrying life imprisonment or a jail term of up to 20 years.

According to the indictment, Kurganovs committed his first murder in April 2001. Under the influence of alcohol, Kurganovs had an argument with his companion over dealings in non-ferrous scrap metal and stabbed the man to death with a knife.

The next two killings occurred in August 2006 when Kurganovs again was boozing together with some companions at an abandoned house. During an argument, Kurganovs beat and killed a woman with a board and then stabbed a man with a knife.