Northern Ireland

Man charged with kicking friend to death allegedly admitted to 'cold-hearted murder', court hears

A man charged with kicking a friend to death allegedly admitted to carrying out a "cold-hearted murder", a court has heard.

Lithuanian national Sarunas Nauburaitis (34) is accused of murdering Maris Ludborzs at his home in north Belfast some time between May 15-20 this year.

Nauburaitis, of Oakley Street in the city, was again refused bail after a detective said he poses an unmanageable risk to the public.

She told Belfast Magistrates Court: "That's based on his history of drug use, including heroin and alcohol dependency, (and) his full and frank admission to what he himself called a cold-hearted murder."

Nauburaitis was arrested after he walked into a PSNI station on May 23 and claimed he had killed his friend.

Officers went to his home and found the 44-year-old lying dead in the kitchen.

A previous court heard that he admitted attacking Mr Ludborzs for offending him in some way during a drinking session.

He claimed that he kicked him about the head and body up to 30 times, police said, and also tried to pour bleach on his face to try to mask his identity.

According to that account a bin bag was put over the other man's head "to ensure death".

Nauburaitis allegedly stated that he also tried to carve the word "rat" into the deceased's chest, it was disclosed.

A number of other people visited Nauburaitis' home throughout that week, the court was told.

Defence lawyers have insisted he made no admissions to murder during police interviews.

Mounting a new application for bail, barrister Richard McConkey cited delays in the case.

But District Judge Fiona Bagnall was told a Preliminary Enquiry to have the accused returned for trial is to go ahead for next month.