Egita Jaunmaize on trial for allegedly impeding boyfriend’s apprehension

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

Egita Jaunmaize was on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of her boyfriend, knowing or believing him to have murdered her housemate Antra Ozolina or committed another arrestable offence. She pleaded not guilty. The proceedings were reported on 13 February 2018.

It was alleged that Jaunmaize placed a blue cord around Ms 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 or 28 June 2014. Jaunmaize told gardaí she feared for her life and was acting on her boyfriend’s orders after seeing him strangle Ms Ozolina. The trial heard that he had not been charged.

Prosecutor Patrick Gageby SC said Jaunmaize had initially lied because she feared her boyfriend would be sent back to Latvia. He pointed out that she returned to him after leaving Garda custody, despite an offer of accommodation, and argued there was no reasonable excuse for her actions. Defence counsel Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC asked the jury to consider duress and reasonable excuse, including whether there was a reasonable possibility she feared death at the time.

On 13 February, the sixth day of the trial, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy was directing the jury on the legal tests. He said reasonable excuse was an objective question, while duress concerned Jaunmaize’s state of mind. He was due to continue his directions the following morning.