| Potential jurors in Edinburgh were told the extreme weather had caused problems with the court’s computerised recording equipment and the clerk was unable to record the proceedings.
The jurors were sent away and told to report later, when it was hoped the problem would be fixed and the trial could get under way.
Vitas Plytnykas (41) denies that on March 29, at Flat 3, Earlsdon House, South Esk Street, Brechin, he assaulted Jolanta Bledaite by holding her against her will, binding her legs, hands and arms, placing tape over her mouth and nose, repeatedly demanding that she tell him the PIN number for bank cards he had stolen, repeatedly striking her on the head and body by unknown means, repeatedly striking her on the body with a knife or knives, threatening to kill her, holding her down by the legs, placing his arms around her nose and mouth, placing a pillow over her head, restricting her breathing and that he murdered her, having previously evinced malice and ill-will towards her.
He further denies, at Jolanta Bledaite’s home, severing her hands and head from her body and, on March 29, disposing of her hands and head in the sea at Arbroath harbour and the following day disposing of a suitcase containing her body in the sea at Arbroath harbour.
He further denies that on various occasions between March 29 and April 3, at banks in Brechin, Montrose, Forfar and Arbroath, by means of the bank cards and PIN numbers, he feloniously obtained £1400 from autotellers.
The trial is due to be heard before Lord Pentland. |
