Courts / Louth / Report

52-year-old man found guilty of axe murder

Date
2015-05-01

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Drogheda

County
Louth

Summary

In a Central Criminal Court trial, Marius Gaizutis, 52, was found guilty of the axe murder of Audrius Butkus, 44, who was discovered on a Meath beach in 2013. Gaizutis had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter at arraignment. The jury, composed of four women and eight men, deliberated for two hours and forty minutes before delivering a unanimous verdict. The prosecution presented evidence that Butkus died from blunt‑force trauma to the head, consistent with being struck by a rectangular object such as an axe. State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy testified that Butkus had sustained multiple blows to the back, top and left side of his head, and that his liver showed signs of chronic alcohol use. Witnesses described a struggle in which Gaizutis allegedly used an axe after an altercation over a bottle of Captain Morgan's. The court noted forensic DNA evidence linking blood on an axe to Butkus.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 52-year-old man found guilty of axe murder. Charges or matters: murdering Audrius Butkus (44) at that address on the 9th or 10th of September, 2013; murder but guilty to manslaughter when he was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court over a week ago. Procedural stage: trial

When:

September 9 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
Tuesday September 10 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
September 10 2013 Other
September 30 2013 Incident
September 11 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
Wednesday May 20 Adjournment
2015-05-01 Publication

Case subjects

Marius Gaizutis

Accused

Charges: murdering Audrius Butkus (44) at that address on the 9th or 10th of September, 2013; murder but guilty to manslaughter when he was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court over a week ago (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Outcome: Det Gda Barry told prosecution counsel, Mr John Fitzgerald BL, during the trial how he carried out an examination on Mornington Beach and other places in Drogheda where he "formed an opinion that a serious assault had taken place in the basement of Marsh Road and an injured person was moved from the basement area and placed in a boot of a Suzuki Swift car and subsequently a body was found on Morni