TL;DR
- Ernestas Juska, 21, has been sentenced to a minimum of 26 years for murdering 39-year-old Nina Denisova in her sleep and committing sexual offences on her body.
- The court highlighted the disturbing influence of violent pornography on Juska, who deliberately chose Ms Denisova as his victim after an evening of socialising.
- The judge described the murder as involving “acts of almost unimaginable depravity,” and expressed concern for the horror experienced by the victim in her final moments.
Man jailed for murder of family friend in act of ‘unimaginable depravity’ | UK News
A man who murdered a family friend in her sleep before committing sexual offences on her body in an act of “unimaginable depravity” has been jailed for at least 26 years.
Warning: Readers may find this content distressing
Ernestas Juska, 21, murdered his mother’s friend, Nina Denisova, 39, while she slept in a spare bedroom at his mother’s house in Dartford, Kent, in August 2024.
He then left the family home and walked to a nearby bus stop, where he asked a member of the public to call police as he had just killed someone.
On Friday, Maidstone Crown Court heard how medical experts found Juska’s consumption of violent pornography had an “extreme impact” on him.
Mr Justice Dexter Dias KC said it “cannot be a coincidence” that the defendant wanted to “try” having sex with a corpse after consuming pornography which included dead bodies, rape and bestiality.
He imposed a life sentence with a minimum term of 26 years on Juska – minus the time he has already spent on remand.
In sentencing, Mr Justice Dias said: “I have no doubt that the last moments of Nina Denisova’s life were lived in extreme, unexpected and undeserved horror.”
Juska had spent the evening socialising with his mother and some family friends, including Ms Denisova, at their home, the court heard.
He had taken some cocaine and consumed alcohol when his mother started to criticise him for being unemployed and Ms Denisova had gone to bed.
Mr Justice Dias said: “He decided he wanted to kill someone, he thought through his options, he did not want to kill his mother or sister, and he knew Ms Denisova was in the house and asleep.”
Between 5.30am and 6am, Juska took the “biggest knife he could find” in the kitchen and went upstairs to Ms Denisova’s room, the prosecution said.
“He stabbed her in the neck, she did not die, and she began to struggle, he put his hands over her mouth, he then stabbed her through both eyes,” said Danny Moore KC, prosecuting.
He then stabbed her in the belly and in the chest and later told police he “didn’t feel anything” when he attacked for the last time.
Juska received a two-year concurrent sentence for sexual penetration of a corpse.
Ms Denisova arrived in the UK from Lithuania in 2006, and in a statement read to court, her brother described her as a “very calm and positive person,” who loved giving gifts.
“We can never forgive him for what he’s done, and we will never be able to understand why he did what he did that sad day,” her brother wrote.
He and Ms Denisova’s father were in court for the two-day sentencing.
Mr Justice Dias said: “I agree with the assessment of the Kent Police. This was a murder involving acts of almost unimaginable depravity.”