Mother of four arranges medieval battle between lovers, leaving one dead.
Asta Juskauskiene, 35, left her husband Giedruis Juskauskas, when she started seeing Mantas Kvedaras. She had met the 25-year-old online after his release from prison in Lithuania, but even though the married couple divorced in 2018, Juskauskas and Juskauskiene were still having a physical relationship. The mother of four, the youngest of which she had with Juskauskas, arranged a “medieval duel” between her two lovers to determine who was worthy of her affection. She is now facing life in prison.
According to court records, “Juskauskiene asked the men, who each wanted to be the only one in her life, to settle the argument with a fight to the death in an alleyway in Stratford.” Kvedaras then stabbed Juskauskas 35 times and he died at the scene. Juskauskiene was charged with “conspiracy to commit murder and perverting the course of justice” and was convicted on both following her month-long trial.
Prosecutor Hugh Davies claimed Juskauskiene discussed her plan with a friend. He said, “That purpose was for the men to settle the issue in relation to the defendant with violence, in effect a latter-day medieval duel.” After the divorce, Davies added, “Giedrius was still on the scene. He regularly visited the address to see his daughter. He had not wanted the divorce. He was providing financial support for his daughter and maintaining a sexual relationship with the defendant. In their different ways, each man felt that they had claims over Asta Juskauskiene. The situation was inevitably going to come to a head.”
Davies recounted the day it did, stating in court, “It did come to a head in Whalebone Lane on that Monday morning. Giedrius Juskauskias and Mantas Kvedaras had obviously met there by arrangement rather than by chance: neither was anywhere near where they lived, and telephone records demonstrate there was repeated communication between them during the day of Sunday 16 June as they travel ed from different locations to the scene. Juskauskiene is a manipulative and controlling figure central to the orchestration of these events. She knew in advance that Mantas Kvederas was intending to use serious violence and cause at least serious harm to Giedrius and she encouraged, assisted and intended to do this.
He continued, “She harbored [Kvedaras] at her house following the murder, she selectively deleted text messages from her mobile phones before they were seized by police, and she lied repeatedly in interview. The prosecution contends that from the point she was told by Mantas Kvaderas immediately following the murder what had happened she has taken steps to distance herself from both him and the events.”
Detective Chief Inspector Larry Smith said, “Both Juskauskiene and Kvedaras intended to cause serious harm to Giedrius. The level of violence used in the attack was brutal and his last moments must have been painful and terrifying. It is a relief that Juskauskiene will now also serve time in prison for her part in the sinister plan. It is clear that both intended to kill or cause serious injury to Giedrius and both are equally responsible for his death.”
Sources:
Crayford woman and lover guilty of murdering her ex-husband in Stratford
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