Courts / Louth / Report
Body-on-the-beach axe murderer fails in appeal
Summary
Marius Gaizutis, 55, was convicted of murder for the axe killing of Audrius Butkus, 44, whose body was found on Mornington beach in 2013. Gaizutis admitted killing Butkus but denied murder, claiming provocation after the victim allegedly insulted him and struck him with a bottle. Forensic evidence suggested an attempt to clean the scene, and Gaizutis had wounds consistent with a bottle attack. A jury found him guilty of murder on 1 May 2015 and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Gaizutis appealed, arguing insufficient evidence for a murder conviction and that the trial judge should have directed an acquittal on murder, leaving only a manslaughter charge. The Court of Appeal, in an electronic judgment, rejected the appeal, stating there was no basis to deem the trial unsatisfactory or the verdict unsafe, and upheld the jury's decision to convict of murder. The appeal was dismissed.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Body-on-the-beach axe murderer fails in appeal. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- September 9 Other
- May 1, 2015 Incident
- 2020-04-27 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Outcome: He was jailed for life by Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan later that month.
Places mentioned
- Marsh road
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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