Mother and son jailed for their parts in murder of Lithuanian Rolandus Poskus man in Hull

Mantas Pundzius, 24, was today told he must serve a life sentenced with a minimum of 19 years in prison for the murder of 52-year-old Lithuanian man Rolandus Poskus.

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He was sentenced along Janina Milieskiene, his 42-year-old mother who was also Mr Poskus' partner at the time of his death.

Milieskiene, of Arthur Street, Hull, was handed a two-and-a-half year prison sentence after being convicted of assisting an offender.

Mr Poskus’ body was found on grassland off Dane Park Road in Orchard Park on June 15 this year.

He had been severely beaten by Pundzius at the home he shared with Milieskiene on Arthur Street two days before his body was found.

He had suffered multiple fractures to his ribs as well as injuries to his brain and internal organs after being hit over the head with a heavy weapon.

Pundzius, of Boulevard, Hull, then transported Mr Poskus’ body from Arthur Street to Orchard Park while his mother cleaned up the house in an attempt to hide the crime.

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On sentencing Pundzius, Judge Paul Watson QC said: “This was a savage and sustained attack. The remorseless nature of the attack shows me you are a man with a seriously violent streak.

“Due to a misguided sense of loyalty to your mother you went round to exact retribution or at the very least confrontation. What happened when you got there at Arthur Street defies credulity.”

He went on to tell Milieskiene: “You covered up the most serious of crimes (but) your attempts were not great. I believe what you did was a rush of blood to the head.”

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Detective Chief Inspector Christine Calvert, of Humberside Police's Major Crime Team, said afterwards: “Following a difficult investigation into this vicious crime, and having sat through the subsequent two week trial, I welcome today’s sentencing of these two individuals.

“Rolandus Poskus’ endured a brutal beating at the hands of Pundzius before dying from his injuries. To add to this Mr Poskus suffered the ignominy after death of having his partly naked body dumped in a public place.

“At every point throughout this, both Mantas Pundzius and Janina Milieskiene had shamelessly tried to cover their tracks in the hope by his own admission ‘to get away with it’. My officers worked tirelessly to make sure that these tracks were uncovered to bring the pair to justice.”