Man guilty of murdering friend after vodka-fuelled attack

Why it matters: The verdict brings to a close a seven-month investigation into the death of Akatjevas, who was found dead at the College Street property on the morning of Tuesday, 23 December 2025.

The details: Police were called at 11:37 on Tuesday, 23 December 2025, to reports that a man had been found dead within the property. The ambulance service attended, but Akatjevas was declared deceased at the scene. A Home Office post-mortem examination indicated he died as a result of injuries to his head.

Maliusis, of Recorder Road, Norwich, was arrested at the scene alongside a 41-year-old woman, and both were taken to Martlesham Police Investigation Centre for questioning. Maliusis was subsequently charged with murder. The woman, now aged 42, was told in February that she would face no further action.

What happened: The court heard that Maliusis called police on 23 December to report that his friend was dead inside the property. He told attending officers that he had been attacked by Akatjevas the previous day and that he had hit him back twice, but said "there was no way my punches could have killed him".

A witness who was inside the property when the altercation occurred told the court that after the group had been drinking vodka together, Akatjevas started to act erratically and wanted them to leave. She described how the two men had been play-fighting earlier in the evening, but things turned more aggressive, during which she herself was pushed over by Akatjevas.

Following this, Maliusis became enraged and attacked Akatjevas, punching him to the ground and then repeatedly punching him in the face for around five minutes, the witness said.

The pair left the scene before returning the next morning so that Maliusis could look for a mobile phone he had left behind. After finding Akatjevas unresponsive on the floor in the same position he had left him in, Maliusis called emergency services.

The bottom line: Seven months after Ilja Akatjevas was found dead in a College Street property, a jury has found his friend Arvydas Maliusis guilty of his murder. Maliusis was remanded in custody by the court and will return on 6 August for sentencing.

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