Oskars Kantors was found guilty at Ipswich Crown Court today, Wednesday 15 November, following a trial lasting just over two weeks.

Kantors, of Old School Close in Leiston, had also been charged with two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm against two other victims, which he had previously admitted.

At 8.50pm on Monday 17 October 2022, police were called by the Ambulance Service reporting that a man had been assaulted at an address in Old School Close.

The victim – Agris Leigavnieks, aged 41 and also of Old School Close – was taken to Ipswich Hospital by ambulance in a critical condition, where he later sadly died.

Oskars Kantors was quickly identified as a suspect and was arrested near to the scene later the same evening. He was initially taken to Ipswich Hospital for treatment under police guard having been injured in a separate incident, before being transferred to Martlesham Police Investigation Centre for questioning.

Kantors was subsequently charged with murder on Thursday 20 October and appeared before magistrates the following day.

The court heard that the murder and both of the assaults had all occurred in Leiston on Monday 17 October and had a common motive – Kantors’ jealousy over either past or current relationships that he believed people to have had with his girlfriend.

The first incident took place at just before 5pm in a flat off High Street – which was the home of Kantors’ ex-girlfriend. Whilst there, Kantors attacked a 50-year-old man, punching him to the face a number of times resulting in him having to attend hospital for treatment.

The second offence occurred at approximately 8.20pm at an address in Old School Close, where the victim – a woman aged in her 20s – was upstairs bathing her young child.

Kantors – who had previously worked with this woman’s boyfriend – entered the house and went upstairs into the bathroom, where he grabbed her by the hair, picked her up and threw her on the ground, leaving immediately afterwards.

The victim sustained an injury to her knee as a result of this attack. This incident was not reported to police until just after 9pm.

The final and fatal attack occurred between the time of this incident and 8.50pm when police were called to the neighbouring property where Agris Leigavnieks lived. Mr Leigavnieks had been found by his housemates on the floor of his room barely breathing and an ambulance was called as a result.

Meanwhile, following an altercation at home with his girlfriend, Kantors had gone round to a neighbour’s house and whilst there he disclosed that he had stabbed Agris Leigavnieks. Following this revelation, the neighbour asked Kantors to leave the house, which he reacted angrily to.

Kantors then told another person that he had beaten up the victim of the first attack earlier in the day and also that he suspected his girlfriend was having an affair with Agris Leigavnieks.

Following police arrival at the scene, Kantors had remained in Old School Close and was subsequently arrested following information provided to officers by the various witnesses.

During the trial, it was heard that Kantors had been drinking alcohol throughout the day and he admitted wanting to put Mr Leigavnieks ‘in hospital’ but did not intend to kill him. He also said he was an alcoholic, claiming he was of diminished responsibility when he attacked Mr Leigavnieks.

His defence counsel expanded on this point, stating that he was suffering with alcohol dependency syndrome, a recognised medical condition and forensic psychiatrists provided expert witness testimony on this matter.

However, the jury rejected this defence and found him guilty of murder by a unanimous verdict.

Kantors has been remanded in custody pending a sentencing hearing due to be held at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday 17 November.