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'We plotted head-on-beach murder' Accused 'cut off victim's head'
(about 3 hours later)
A murderer has told a trial how he and another man hatched a plot to kill a Lithuanian woman for her savings then dump her cut-up body in the sea. A man accused of murdering a Lithuanian woman smothered her with a pillow before cutting off her head and putting it in a plastic bag, a court has heard.
Aleksandras Skirda, 20, has admitted murdering farm worker Jolanta Bledaite in Angus in March last year. Aleksandras Skirda, 20, who has already admitted killing Jolanta Bledaite, made the claim at the trial of Vitas Plytnykas, 41, who denies murder.
He was giving evidence at the trial of Vitas Plytnykas, 41, who denies murder. The court was also shown CCTV images of the pair on a bus to Arbroath with the plastic bag said to contain the head.
Skirda said the pair had decided to threaten Ms Bledaite, 35, to get her bank card details then "dispose of" her - regardless of her response. Skirda told the court they murdered Ms Bledaite, 35, to get her savings.
Mr Plytnykas claims that Skirda alone is to blame for the killing. Ms Bledaite's head was found by two young sisters playing at the beach in Arbroath on 1 April, last year. Her hands were found by police soon after.
Ms Bledaite's head was found on the beach at Arbroath by two young sisters on 1 April. Police discovered her hands shortly afterwards. Skirda told the High Court in Edinburgh that he and Mr Plytnykas had been planning the murder for about two months before Ms Bledaite's death and had even bought the plastic bags to dispose of the remains in the sea at Arbroath.
A suitcase containing body parts was later pulled from the harbour at Arbroath. The trial heard that Ms Bledaite was reading when the two men burst into her room just before 0800 GMT on 29 March last year.
Skirda told the High Court in Edinburgh that he and Mr Plytnykas, who are also both from Lithuania, had prepared for the killing by buying bin bags to put Ms Bledaite's head and hands in. Skirda, who was Ms Bledaite's flat mate, said he wrapped gaffer tape round her hands and ankles while Mr Plytnykas held her.
Skirda, who shared a flat with Ms Bledaite, said that he and Mr Plytnykas came up with the plan in the early part of last year after learning that Ms Bledaite had £4,000 to £5,000 in savings. Skirda told the court they made Ms Bledaite give them the Pin number of her bank card. She initially gave them the wrong information but handed over the correct number after being punched.
He told the court: "The plan was to take all the money."
Aleksandras Skirda previously admitted killing Jolanta BledaiteAleksandras Skirda previously admitted killing Jolanta Bledaite
"What about Jolanta?" asked prosecutor Alex Prentice QC. "Then Vitas put a pillow over her face," Skirda said, describing how he held the struggling woman's legs. After a few minutes she was not breathing.
"The plan was to dispose of her," Skirda replied. "I felt bad," Skirda said.
"Do you mean you were going to kill her?" asked Mr Prentice. The court heard that the two men cleared personal papers and possessions from Ms Bledaite's room, then dragged or carried the body to the bath.
"Yes," Skirda replied. Skirda said he brought knives to the kitchen and gave them to Plytnykas.
The witness confirmed that the plan was to kill Ms Bledaite if she did not hand over the Pin number for her bank cards. He told the court: "Well, after that Vitas cut off her head."
Mr Prentice asked: "If she did give you the Pin number, what was going to happen to Jolanta?" Skirda also described how Plytnykas pulled one arm from the bath and cut off Ms Bledaite's left hand before manoeuvring her body onto its side and severing the right hand.
"The same," Skirda replied. He said he held the bag as Plytnykas dropped the head inside.
"You were going to kill her no matter what happened, is that right?" asked the prosecutor. They wanted to make the body hard to identify, he claimed.
"Yes," said Skirda. The knives and personal papers were then thrown in the nearby South Esk river.
Skirda told the court that he and the accused discussed getting rid of Ms Bledaite's body by throwing it in the sea. Skirda told the court that Ms Bledaite was going to be murdered whether she had given over her Pin number or not.
They planned to cut off her hands and head to make the remains difficult to identify. The court saw CCTV footage showing the pair on bus heading for Arbroath with a Lidl bag.
When Mr Prentice asked how they were planning to cut off the body parts, Skirda replied: "It was Vitas's idea." Skirda claimed they went to the harbour and found stones to put in the bags, then Plytnykas threw them into the sea.
The trial continues The two men then went shopping with Jolanta's money, Plytnykas buying a baby's pram, he said.
The trial continues.