Asta Juskauskiene

Asta Juskauskiene, a 35-year-old care worker and mother from Crayford, was jailed for her role in the brutal murder of her ex-husband, Giedrius Juskauskas, in a Newham tunnel on 17 June 2019. Juskauskiene manipulated her former partner and her new lover, Mantas Kvedaras, into a violent confrontation she framed as a contest for her affection, resulting in Juskauskas's death by stabbing.

The relationship between Juskauskiene and Kvedaras began online while he was imprisoned in Lithuania for sexually assaulting a teenage girl. Upon his release, Kvedaras travelled to the UK, arriving just five days before the deadly encounter. Juskauskiene, who shared a daughter with the 42-year-old Juskauskas, both originally from the Baltic state, deceived Juskauskas into believing reconciliation was possible while simultaneously encouraging Kvedaras's aggression. She explicitly told friends of her plan for the men to fight, stating her thrill in the danger. Court evidence from phone records confirmed her orchestration of the meeting in the east London tunnel during the early hours.

During the assault, Kvedaras inflicted 35 stab wounds on the unarmed and heavily intoxicated Juskauskas in mere seconds, shattering bones with the force of the attack. The prosecutor, Hugh Davies, at Kingston Crown Court, described the mismatch: 'Juskauskas was heavily intoxicated. Unlike Kvedaras he had no history of using serious violence. He was wholly unarmed.' Juskauskiene's friend provided a statement revealing her mindset: 'I think I will play until I get into trouble. I probably like the risks, dangers.' After the murder, Juskauskiene and Kvedaras casually dined on pizza, further evidencing her complicity.

Found guilty of murder and perverting the course of justice at a prior hearing, Juskauskiene was sentenced to 24 years at the Old Bailey. Judge Peter Lodder condemned her actions: 'The cruel truth is that you were manipulating your admirers. You allowed Mr Juskauskas to think you might go back to him while simultaneously playing him off against Kvedaras.' The victim's mother expressed her anguish in a court statement: 'I cannot find the words... to explain the heart-breaking and devastating concoction of feelings.' Detective Chief Inspector Laurence Smith of the Metropolitan Police called it 'a calculated, merciless attack'. This case, covered by The Independent, highlights the devastating impact of such deceitful orchestration.