Courts / Dublin / Report
Mentally ill man to be sentenced for killing woman he was having affair with
Summary
A 25‑year‑old Latvian man, Valerijs Leitons, was found guilty of manslaughter with substantially diminished responsibility for stabbing a 34‑year‑old Latvian woman, Saidrite Valdgeima, over 50 times at the Binary Hub aparthotel in Dublin on 26 June 2019. Leitons, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, claimed he believed Valdgeima was an enemy agent and that he was being monitored by the FBI, CIA and KGB. He had stopped taking his antipsychotic medication three months before the incident. The jury rejected his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity and returned a manslaughter verdict. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court, and sentencing was adjourned to 18 January 2022. The hearing included victim‑impact statements from Valdgeima's three daughters, describing profound grief and lasting trauma. The judge expressed condolences to the family and noted the case's unusual nature.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Mentally ill man to be sentenced for killing woman he was having affair with. Procedural stage: finding. Findings: Not guilty by reason of insanity
When:
- June 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- 26 June 2019 Other
- May 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 18 Adjournment
- 2021-12-08 Publication
Why: Mother-of-three Saidrite Valdgeima was stabbed over 50 times at an aparthotel in Dublin in June 2019 because her killer believed she was an enemy agent with a weapon sent to harm him. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Not guilty by reason of insanity
Outcome: Not guilty by reason of insanity; He adjourned sentencing to January 18.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- St Kevin's Gardens
- Dublin
- Bonham Street
- Central Mental Hospital
Topics
Related court reports
- Man charged with having 56k child abuse images and videos remanded on bail
- Ex-Dáil hopeful's allegations against former employer 'complete fantasy', WRC told
- Mater must pay €10k to worker who said he was wrongly accused of abusing patient
- 'I think we know I won't be getting bail' - Daniel Kinahan charged with directing criminal organisation
- Letting agent who claimed alleged domestic violence victim abandoned tenancy by fleeing to refuge must pay €14.7k
- 77-year-old with 470 convictions told Luas staff to 'f**k off'
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request