A mum who arranged for her ex-husband and love rival to fight to the death in an alleyway has been found guilty of murder.

Asta Juskauskiene, 35, of Iron Mill Lane, Crayford, near Dartford, had denied orchestrating the killing of ex-partner 42-year-old Giedrius Juskauskas who was was fatally stabbed by her younger lover.

The care worker was found guilty of murder and perverting the course of justice following a trial at the Old Bailey last Thursday.

A jury heard how ex-husband Giedrius was stabbed to death by Juskauskiene’s new boyfriend, Mantas Kvedaras, 25, in a Stratford alleyway in June.

Emergency services were called after a witness found the 42-year-old lying on the floor bleeding from the neck, but he died at the scene.

Officers established Juskauskiene had been in contact with her ex-husband and new lover in the hours leading up to the murder and said she was "key to orchestrating the fatal meeting".

She had been continuing a physical relationship with Giedrius – a Lithuanian national who had been living in London for around a decade and with who she had a child – despite their divorce in December 2018.

A post-mortem found the Eastern European had at least 35 separate stab wounds to his body, chest and neck and some of his bones had been severely damaged.

In the days following his death, the mum arranged for removal of her lover Kvedaras’s belongings from her home, where he continued to stay before his arrest.

She also consistently lied to police during interview and deleted potentially incriminating text messages from her phone.

Kvedaras had come to the UK five days before the murder to stay with Juskauskiene, after they began a relationship over social media.

The care worker was arrested on June 19 alongside her lover Kvedaras.

He later pleaded guilty to the murder in October, also heard at the Old Bailey.

Investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Larry Smith described the level of violence used in the case as "brutal", adding Giedrius' last moments "must have been painful and terrifying".

He said: “Both Juskauskiene and Kvedaras intended to cause serious harm to Giedrius, who will now never see his daughter grow up.

“It is a relief that Juskauskiene will now also serve time in prison for her part in the sinister plan.

“It is clear that both intended to kill or cause serious injury to Giedrius and both are equally responsible for his death."

The detective added: "It is better for all that they are not out in society where they could potentially cause harm to someone else.”

The pair will be sentenced on February 7.

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