Man jailed for life for murder of Spalding factory worker

Gytis Griskevicus,32, of St Anns Lane, Boston, was this afternoon at Lincoln Crown Court convicted of the murder of his estranged wife Marina Erte and jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years.

The body of Ms Erte, who worked at FESA fruit packing company in Spalding, was found at a house in Elizabeth Road, Boston, on the afternoon of Friday, May 20.

The property was smoke damaged as a result of a fire.

Speaking after the case, Detective Inspector Jim Hodgson, Senior Investigating Officer from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit for Major Crime, said: “Gytis always denied the offence and has shown no remorse for his actions. This made our investigation challenging and during the trial we relied upon largely circumstantial evidence. Today’s verdict demonstrates the professionalism and dedication of all the officers involved.

“Marina had been subjected to a brutal and violent attack within her own home and in an attempt to destroy evidence and frustrate the investigation, the defendant attempted to set fire to the flat. While this caused damage to the flat the consequences of this could have been far worse because it could have put others in danger.

“I would like to thank the family and friends of Marina for aiding our investigation and I hope this verdict and sentence will help them feel that justice has been served. The local community in Boston were also of significant support and I hope this reassures them that Lincolnshire Police will make sure dangerous and violent individuals are caught and prosecuted.”

On behalf of Marina’s family, the detective read the following statement:

“Marina was a much loved mother, daughter, sister and friend within a close network, both within the Boston area and back home in Latvia and her death has left a big void in all their lives. The circumstances surrounding her murder and the fact the defendant has never made any admissions will mean they will probably never come to terms with her death at such a young age.

“Marina had a full life ahead of her which was cruelly and tragically taken by a violent man who has now been sentenced to a lengthy period in prison, and while they are satisfied that justice has been served, it will never replace Marina and as such they can never forgive the defendant for his actions.

“They would like to thank both Marina’s friends and the police for the support they have given during this very difficult period.”

“At this time I would like to ask that Marina’s family are given time and space to start trying to re-build their lives and ask the media to respect their wishes for privacy at what is still a very emotional time.”