Murder trial told man beaten up and dumped in Lincoln river

A man was beaten up by two men and then unceremoniously dumped into the River Witham in Lincoln, a murder trial jury was told today (Thursday)

The body of Igors Petrovs, 45, was found in the Waterside North area of Lincoln three days after his alleged murder in August last year.

Kaspars Spiridonvos, 41, of Shuttleworth House, Stamp End, Lincoln, and Andrejs Servutas, 44, of Monks Road, Lincoln, both deny the murder of Mr Petrovs on August 21, 2022.

Christopher Donnellan KC, prosecuting, told a jury at Lincoln Crown Court: “Our case is these two men together, acting together, killed Igors Petrovs.

“When they did so it was their intention to at least cause him really serious harm.”

Mr Donnellan added: “Just after midnight on August 20 into the August 21 the body of Igors Petrovs was unceremoniously dumped into the River Witham along the banks of the waterside here in Lincoln.

“The people who did that were these two defendants.

“He died because of the violence that was inflicted on him just before he was dumped in the river.

“That violence tookplace on the river bank and then he was pushed into the water.

“It appears he may not have drowned, but was dead or almost dead before he hit the water.

“One thing is certain, he did not die from any natural causes.

“Although the pathological cause is unascertained, it followed the beating up of Igors Petrovs on the banks of the river by these defendants.”

The jury heard all three men were known to each other and came from the same town in Latvia, with Mr Petrovs living in the Moorland Avenue area of Lincoln.

Mr Donnellan said although the motive for the killing was unknown, it was believed all three men had agreed to meet up and had been drinking.

It is alleged the beating of Mr Petrovs started almost straight away after his bike was thrown over railings into the river.

Mr Donnellan alleged a camera in Waterside House picked up part of a conversation between the two men after Mr Petrovs was thrown into the water, and suggested historic ill feeling from Servutas towards the dead man.

The jury heard Servutas admits unlawfully killing Mr Petrovs and has pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter on August 21 last year.

Spiridonvos, who lived in a 12th floor flat with his partner, denies manslaughter by acting jointly with Servutas to unlawfully kill Mr Petrovs.

Both men deny the murder of Mr Petrovs whose body was not found until three days after the alleged killing on August 24.

Mr Donnellan told the jury his body had begun to decompose.

The trial continues.

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