Courts / Dublin / Report

Jury to continue deliberating in trial of man accused of murdering woman he had affair with

Summary

The jury in the Central Criminal Court case of Valerijs Leitons, a 25‑year‑old Latvian national, has paused its deliberations after four hours and ten minutes of discussion. Leitons, who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, is charged with murdering his affair partner, Skaidrite Valdgeima, 34, on 26 June 2019 at the Binary Hub aparthotel. The trial established that the couple had a sexual relationship that began in May 2019. A pathologist reported Valdgeima suffered multiple penetrating wounds, including defence‑type injuries on both arms. Two forensic psychiatrists testified about Leitons' mental state: Dr Damien Smith, representing the prosecution, said he did not meet the criteria for a not‑guilty‑by‑reason‑of‑insanity verdict, while Dr Ronan Mullaney, for the defence, argued he did. The jury must decide between a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity or guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jury to continue deliberating in trial of man accused of murdering woman he had affair with. Procedural stage: finding. Findings: Not guilty by reason of insanity

When:

• 26 June 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2021-10-08 Publication

Why: To meet the verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, the jury must find that Mr Leitons was suffering from a mental disorder such that he should not be held responsible for the killing because he did not know the nature and quality of his actions, or he did not know what he was doing was morally wrong, or was unable to refrain from committing the act. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Finding Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report