An Irish man has been handed down a 14-year sentence for the murder of an American nurse in Hungary.
The Dublin man, 38, cannot be named due to Hungarian legal restrictions.
He denied the murder of 31-year-old Mackenzie Michalski, claiming she died during ‘consensual BDSM activity.’
The court heard how the pair met had in the popular nightlife district of Budapest.
They returned to the man’s rented accommodation, where the nurse was strangled for a number of minutes before dying.
The Irish man refrained from calling emergency services, instead cleaning the apartment and concealing the deceased body in a large suitcase he bought.
The suitcase and Ms Michalski’s body were hidden in a wooded area near Szigliget by Lake Balaton.
RTÉ reports that medical experts ruled out that it was an ‘accidental death’ following a post-mortem examination.
The public service broadcaster reported that the family of the late nurse travelled from their hometown of Oregon for the court proceedings.
In her victim impact statement, Ms Michalski’s mum described the last nearly two years as traumatic for the family.
In addition to a 14-year prison sentence, the defendant is ineligible for parole and has been sentenced to 20 years’ expulsion from Hungary.
His defence has appealed the sentence, requesting a full appellate review from the judge.
