Ignore Rurik Jutting’s ‘appalling’ cocaine, booze and sadistic sex addictions, judge tells jury in Hong Kong torture murder trial
Lawyer tells jury Jutting had lost ability to 'make rational decisions' before he meted out horrific abuse on two women
JURORS in double killer Rurik Jutting's murder trial have been told his "appalling private life" should not be considered when they retire.
Judge Stuart-Moore added that despite the fact Jutting, 31, was addicted to booze and cocaine and enjoyed sadistic sex, they had to consider his "state of mind" at the time of the deaths.
The Cambridge Uni graduate denies murdering prostitutes Sumarti Ningsih and Seneng Mujiasih but has pleaded guilty to their manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.
His trial at Hong Kong High Court is now in its third week but the jury of five men and four women are expected to be sent out on Tuesday.
They have had to watch a sickening video of Jutting as he brutally tortured mum of one Sumarti, 23, including making her lick the toilet bowl before slitting her throat.
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Her decomposing body was found stuffed in a suitcase on the balcony of Jutting's 31st floor luxury apartment in Hong Kong's seedy Wan Chai district.
Second victim Seneng, 26, died five days later within twenty minutes of arriving at Jutting's flat after he went out "looking for prey" in a nearby bar.
The court has seen a grim monologue he recorded on his iPhone of him preparing a torture kit including a blow torch, sandpaper, sex toys and a hammer.
Judge Stuart-Moore said:"He bought a number of instruments of torture that what he intended them to be used for was even more unimaginable torture than he had on the first victim."
In between the killings Jutting recorded a series of rambling monologues on his I phone detailing how he had killed his first victim and what he planned to do.
He described how he had been on a drink and cocaine bender for three days while torturing Sumarti before eventually slitting her throat.
Jutting said in the clips he got "sexual pleasure" from torturing his victim and the more cocaine he took, the more he hurt her, the greater the pleasure.
The judge added that although it was agreed he had intended to kill, the jury had to decide whether Jutting was "suffering from an abnormality of the mind" as his defence argued.
Jutting's legal team led by Tim Owen QC have said he was suffering from four disorders that had affected his mind substantially.
The jurors were also told the fact Jutting had not directly given evidence "proves nothing one way or another".
As judge Stuart-Moore summed up Jutting, dressed in a light blue shirt, took notes as he was surrounded by three prison guards.
The judge reminded the jury that Mr Owen has said Jutting suffers from drink and drug addiction, as well as sexual sadism and narcissistic personality disorder.
He quoted Mr Owen and said:"The defendant had reached a stage in his life where he was no longer able to make rational decisions."
Judge Stuart-Moore explained to the jury that manslaughter due to diminished responsibility was a "concession to human frailty" if a defendant has a "substantial impairment of their mental state".
He recapped the prosecution's dismissal of the claim and said:"They say he may well have an abnormality of the mind.
"But he knew exactly what he was doing and could exercise willpower
and control.
"He could do but chose not to.
"The first killing was because he didn't want to be caught.
"The second because she wouldn't stop screaming."
He went on: "They say the drugs and alcohol certainly impaired his thinking to some extent but it had not substantially impaired his responsibility.";
Judge Stuart-Moore again told the jury not to led Jutting's "dreadful private life" colour their considerations.
"We are not concerned with his morality but with the state of his mind at the time of the killings."
He went on: "Sympathy for the girls must also not come into your thinking.
"You must approach this intelligently and not be coloured by compassion or disgust that you feel at the dreadful acts the defendant has admitted he carried out."
He also stressed that Jutting was "not mad" and that they had to simply consider if he had a substantial impairment of his mind at the time of the killings in October 2014.
Jutting, formerly of Cobham, Surrey, admits preventing the lawful burial of Sumarti's body and the trial continues.
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