Egita Jaunmaize jury deliberates on impeding prosecution

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A jury began deliberating in the Central Criminal Court trial of Egita Jaunmaize, who was charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of her boyfriend. The proceedings were reported on 14 February 2018.

Jaunmaize pleaded not guilty to carrying out the offence without reasonable excuse. The charge concerned her boyfriend, whom she knew or believed had murdered her housemate, Antra Ozolina, or committed another arrestable offence.

Jaunmaize admitted placing a blue cord around Ozolina’s neck to simulate suicide and make it harder to establish that her death was suspicious. The alleged offence was at their home in Kilnaleck, Co Cavan, on or about 27 June 2014.

Jaunmaize told gardaí she feared for her life and acted on her boyfriend’s orders after seeing him strangle Ozolina. Her defence counsel asked jurors to consider duress and reasonable excuse.