Irish man tried in Budapest over death of American nurse
A 38-year-old Dublin man is standing trial in Budapest, held responsible for the death of an American nurse in November 2024.
Irish man tried in Budapest over death of American nurse
A 38-year-old man from Dublin, whose identity cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, gave evidence on Tuesday at Budapest's court. The verdict will be announced on Thursday in the case concerning the death of American nurse Mackenzie Michalski.
The defendant has previously admitted that in November 2024 he ended Michalski's life during a sexual encounter and then disposed of her body. The man denies intentional homicide, claiming the tragedy was an accidental accident.
"Everything I did, Kenzie asked me to do," he said in the courtroom. "I didn't want to take her life." In conclusion he said: "I'm very sorry, I didn't know, I'm very sorry."
Michalski had arrived in Hungary as a tourist several days earlier. On 4 November she met the man at a Budapest entertainment venue called Szimpla Kert. During the evening they consumed drinks together in a bar and a nightclub, after which they went to the man's flat, where Michalski lost her life in the early hours of 5 November.
According to the prosecution, the nurse was suffocated for at least two to three minutes. During autopsy, numerous other injuries were found on her body, including bruises to her head. Investigators discovered distressing footage of the deceased's body on the suspect's mobile telephone.
During the court proceedings it emerged that the man attempted to cover up the crime: he cleaned the rented property, purchased a suitcase, then hired a car, and hid the body in a wooded area near Szigliget close to Lake Balaton. He had hoped that wild boars would consume the remains.
Police arrested the man in Budapest the following day, after which he cooperated with authorities and showed them where he had concealed the victim.
Michalski's mother spoke at the trial about the "enormous trauma" her family had suffered. She said they would never again be able to celebrate the birthday of their only daughter. She expressed her outrage that the defendant had been allowed to "tarnish" her daughter's reputation by claiming she had enjoyed BDSM sex, whilst he himself remained anonymous.
The defence attorney, Dr. György Magyar, requested a retrial and argued that the sexual act was clearly based on mutual consent. The prosecutor had previously argued that based on the evidence it was unlikely the victim had asked the man to strangle her, given that she had previously suffered a neck injury and had never shown an interest in violent sex.
The judge will announce the verdict on Thursday.
Source: The Irish Times
Source: Irish Times