Jolanta Bledaite murder trial: 'Truly monstrous and evil' pair with no respect for life

Published on Friday 13 February 2009 20:59

VITAS PLYTNYKAS and his accomplice were yesterday condemned for the "truly monstrous and evil" murder of Jolanta Bledaite, a Lithuanian farm worker.

The 41-year-old, who in 2001 was sentenced to eight years in Germany for manslaughter, cut off Ms Bledaite's head and hands after smothering her with a pillow, in a plot to steal her savings of about 10,000.

The judge, Lord Pentland, who will sentence Plytnykas next month, told him: "These were truly monstrous and evil crimes. I am left in no doubt you have absolutely no respect for human life or decency. At no stage have you shown the slightest sign of remorse."

At an earlier hearing, Aleksandras Skirda, 20, pled guilty to the charges and he, too, will learn next month the minimum number of years he must serve under a life sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

The pair stole Ms Bledaite's bank card and tortured her for the PIN. She gave them a false one, but they held her at knife-point until she gave them the correct code. Once they had withdrawn cash from her account they killed her, believing that no-one would know she was missing.

They then cut up Ms Bledaite's body and threw the parts into the sea at Arbroath, Angus. Her head, in a plastic bag, was found by two sisters, aged 11 and eight, washed up on a local beach.

A statement was issued on behalf of Ms Bledaite's mother, Ona Lazauskiene, and grandmother, Albina Sapalaite, saying: "They are truly hoping for a fair sentence to the cruel murderers, so they get what they deserve. They are worried that they will be released before serving the full prison sentence and take revenge on them and their relatives."

Detective Inspector Gordon Cryle, of Tayside Police, said it had been one of the most horrific murders in Angus. "Jolanta was a hard-working, conscientious woman who arrived here with aspirations of making a better life for herself," he said. "By every account, she was a good woman – an innocent victim far from home.

"Her killers preyed on her and we were struck by the level of premeditation that they showed. This was not an impulsive crime, but one that was plotted over several weeks."

After the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts against Plytnykas on charges of murdering Ms Bledaite, dismembering and disposing of the body, and stealing 1,400 from her bank accounts, Alex Prentice, QC, the advocate-depute, said the murder had been felt deeply in the Angus community.

The two men had plotted to steal her savings and it had been with "chilling composure and determination" that they put "this evil plan" into effect, the judge said.

"Jolanta Bledaite must have died in a state of terror and distress. Her ordeal at your hands must have lasted some considerable time. She had done neither of you the slightest harm. She was entirely defenceless, yet you showed her no mercy."