Courts / Dublin / Report
Court upholds nurse's conviction for murdering mother
Summary
A 39‑year‑old nurse, Greta Dudko, was convicted of murdering her 55‑year‑old mother, Anna Butautiene, on Christmas Eve 2010. Dudko admitted striking her mother's head against a wall and then hitting her with a glass bottle, causing blunt‑force trauma. The Central Criminal Court found her guilty of murder by a 11‑to‑1 jury verdict and imposed a mandatory life sentence on 22 October 2014. She had been suspended from nursing work earlier that year for intoxication at work and had an alcohol problem. Dudko's appeal, filed in December 2015, challenged the judge's handling of intoxication and the fairness of the jury charge. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, ruling the judge's conduct was not unfair and the conviction remained valid. The court also upheld the admissibility of photographs of the deceased at the crime scene. The unnamed 39-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Court upholds nurse's conviction for murdering mother. Charges or matters: murder but guilty to her manslaughter at that address on December 24th 2010; murder by a majority jury verdict of 11-1. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- December 24th 2010 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 22, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- Christmas Eve Other
- 2018-06-11 Publication
Why: The trial judge told the jury, after cross examination of a GP on Dudko's state of mind, that he hoped they remembered the evidence they were hearing because they weren't going to hear it repeated in his charge. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: murder but guilty to her manslaughter at that address on December 24th 2010; murder by a majority jury verdict of 11-1 (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; A 39-year-old nurse sentenced to life in prison for murdering her mother on Christmas Eve has lost an appeal against her conviction.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- The Central Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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