Airidas Janavicius pleaded guilty to manslaughter and perverting the course of justice
Airidas Janavicius, 38, of Burdetts Road, Dagenham, repeatedly punched Marius Lakavicius in the head after the pair had been drinking together in July last year.
Emergency services found the 44-year-old victim with injuries in Goresbrook Road, Dagenham, just before midnight on Friday, 23 July. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Janavicius lied to police, claiming they had both been attacked by a group of six to eight men. He said they fended off the group, only for Marius to fall ill later
Detectives scoured hours of CCTV footage and discovered not only was that not true but that Janavicius was linked to the crime. He was arrested later that evening for murder and perverting the course of justice.
Janavicius pleaded guilty to manslaughter and perverting the course of justice at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, 26 April. He was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment.
Detective Sergeant Brett Hagen, leading the investigation, said: “This sequence of events resulted in the tragic and needless death of Marius Lakavicius. A thorough and detailed investigation implicated Janavicius in this crime, despite his initial lies to police that both he and Marius were attacked by a group of youths.
“This drunken attack on his ‘friend’ and work colleague has left a wife without her husband and two young boys without their devoted father. No sentence of imprisonment can bring Marius back and I would like to thank his family for their dignity throughout this harrowing period of their lives.”
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Tags: Dagenham, Murder, Barking and Dagenham