33-year-old Giorgi Gochitashvili, who rammed a truck into the fence of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s house in Dedoplistskaro, was sentenced to involuntary psychiatric treatment.
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Judge Giorgi Bukhrashvili of the Sighnaghi District Court passed the sentence on June 30 based on the findings of the National Forensics Bureau and the request of the prosecutor’s office. The defendant could not attend the trial, as he was already placed in the psychiatric hospital of Khoni. According to the lawyer, remote attendance was not possible due to technical issues.
Before that, two hearings were held in Sighnaghi District Court with Gochitashvili present. Gochitashvili pled not guilty but admitted that he did in fact crash the truck into the fence of Garibashvili’s house.
“I believe I did the right thing. I am not running away, nor would I commit another crime. I did what I could to awaken these people and get rid of this clan, which you serve. You should be serving your country and not the clan, not some Garibashvilis, some mother***ers,” Gochitashvili addressed the judge.
He did not explain why he crashed into the fence of Garibashvili’s house. According to several sources, he worked at Garibashvili’s as a laborer, asked the prime minister’s father for second-hand construction materials, and got upset when he refused.
No member of the Prime Minister’s family has been recognized as a victim party in the criminal case. The prosecutor’s office charged Gochitashvili not with property damage, but with Article 353 of the Criminal Code, which stands for resistance, threat, or violence against the police.
According to the materials of the case, Gochitashvili crashed into a police vehicle and resisted arrest.
Giorgi Gochitashvili was represented by state lawyer Archil Tukhashvili. As he told Georgian News, the maximum term of forced treatment in a psychiatric institution is 2 years and 6 months, however, the said term of punishment may be reduced by the decision of the medical commission.
Giorgi Gochitashvili crashed into the fence of the Prime Minister's residence using his friend's truck on April 23, after which he tried to flee the scene. The police arrested him on the same day on the road leading to Tbilisi, in Lilo.
After being sentenced to involuntary psychiatric treatment, the criminal prosecution against Gochitashvili stopped. His family members refuse to comment to the media. Georgian News has information that Gochitashvili has mental health problems.
