A woman organised a "latter day medieval duel" between her two lovers to decide which one would win her affection, a murder trial has heard.

Asta Juskauskiene, 35, had just left Giedruis Juskauskas when she met Mantas Kvedaras, a 25-year-old serving time in a Lithuanian prison, online.

The care worker officially ended the relationship with Juskauskas, 42, who continued to provide financial support for their daughter, following Kvedras' release in May.

Both men claimed Juskauskiene as their own and she decided to settle the argument with a fight to the death in a Stratford alleyway, Kingston Crown Court was told.

Juskauskas was found bleeding to death in Whalebone Lane following the "murderous assault" which left him with 35 stab wounds to the body and neck. Kvedaras has since admitted to murdering him on June 17 this year.

The prosecution is arguing that Juskauskiene was a "manipulative" figure who knew that Kvederas was intending to inflict "serious violence" onto her former husband.

Prosecutor Hugh Davies said: "That purpose was for the men to settle the issue in relation to the defendant with violence - in effect a latter-day medieval duel."

"In their different ways each man felt that they had claims over Asta Juskauskiene. The situation was inevitably going to come to a head. It did come to a head in Whalebone Lane on that Monday morning."

"This was not a fist fight that escalated: it was a murderous assault with a single bladed knife with death as the inevitable outcome," Davies added.

The court heard how Juskauskiene harboured Kvederas following the murder, before selectively deleting text messages from her mobile phone and lying "repeatedly" in a police interview.

It also emerged that the defendant had met Mantas online through another prisoner called Andrius Semionovas, who she married on 18 February 2019, believing that he would join her in London after his release the following month.

However, she turned her affections to Mantas when she learnt that Semionovas had been stopped and deported when he tried to enter the UK.

"Against this background, the defendant's relationship with Mantas, although conducted online, developed into one that was obviously sexual," the prosecutor continued.

Juskauskiene's friend Jurgita Sulciene will be a key witness in future hearings according to the prosecution, as she was privy to important information about the relationship with Mantas.

Juskauskiene told her how Mantas had fallen in love with her although they had not even yet met in person.

After establishing a connection online, she travelled to meet with him in Stockholm on 29 May, two weeks before he met her in London.

In a statement to police, Sulciene wrote: "Before his arrival Sulciene, reading the situation, had warned her that it would be 'dangerous' if Giedrius were to come to the house and meet either Andrius or Mantas. She said they would fight, I knew Geidrius was a very jealous person."

Juskauskiene, from Dartford, Kent, denies conspiracy to murder and perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.

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