Court keeps teenager accused of the brutal murder of a peer in Tbilisi in custody

@NGnewsgeorgia. The Tbilisi City Court has kept in custody a 17-year-old schoolboy accused of the brutal murder of his peer, Davit Narimanidze.

Even the defense agreed with the prosecution’s motion for the strictest preventive measure: the lawyers said that their client had fully confessed, was in a state of shock, and was “genuinely remorseful.”

A fatal toast and a knife attack

After the hearing, prosecutor Keti Sonidze revealed details of the tragedy that occurred in the early morning hours of September 10. According to her, the detained D.P. and Narimanidze had not known each other before; they saw each other for the first time that night.

According to the prosecution, intoxicated D.P., accompanied by friends, approached a group celebrating a birthday at a barbecue restaurant on Khudadov Street and asked for a cigarette. After being refused, he expressed dissatisfaction with the guys’ “tone,” but the conflict was quickly smoothed over, and the instigator was invited to the table to have a drink in honor of the occasion.

While the toast was being made, D.P. noticed that Narimanidze was sitting indifferently to the side and was not standing up. Taking this as “personal disrespect,” he demanded an explanation. Narimanidze replied that his leg hurt. The teenager then forced Davit to stand up, put an arm around him, and remain that way for several minutes. After that, D.P. suggested that Davit step aside to “talk.” As soon as they moved away, the assailant pulled out a knife and dealt the young man a fatal blow directly to the heart.

Eyewitnesses ran toward the noise. According to them, the attacker, holding a bloodstained knife, told the wounded man: “You got what you wanted.” Narimanidze managed to take only a few steps before collapsing. According to experts, he had no chance of surviving—the death occurred within minutes from massive blood loss.

The killer initially fled, but later returned and surrendered to the police.

Among other things, the investigation is currently examining the actions of patrol units: if it is found that on-duty police officers drove past but ignored a gathering of intoxicated teenagers shortly before the murder, the officers will be held accountable.

“The surveillance camera footage should be thoroughly analyzed,” Sonidze emphasized.

Profile of the accused: schooling in England and a criminal record

The 17-year-old D.P. turned out to be a defendant with an extensive criminal background. According to the prosecutor, the young man had already been convicted of stealing cigarettes and alcohol from chain stores across Tbilisi. In spring 2026, he was released on bail, which his family never paid.

The defense said that D.P. had previously studied in England but later returned to Georgia. His mother is working abroad, while his grandmother had tried to raise him.

“He is remorseful, regrets what happened, and is in a state of severe distress and shock. He sincerely regrets what he did,” attorney Giorgi Dzidziguri told reporters.

The teenager was charged with “intentional murder motivated by hooliganism” (Article 109, Part 2, Clause “c” of the Criminal Code of Georgia). For an adult, this article provides for 16 to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment; however, more lenient provisions apply to minors.