Person charged for murdering Australian citizen sent behind bars for 20 years

17:18, 09.03.2022

Rafael Mursakulov, a person charged for the murder of the Australian citizen Shanae Brooke Edwards, has been sent behind bars for 20 years, Tbilisi City Court Judge Zviad Sharadze announced the guilty verdict.

The brother of the murdered woman, Tyson Edwards, who arrived from London, urged the court to sentence the accused to life imprisonment in a speech. The defendant delivered the final speech and apologized to the Edwards family.

The Australian Consul attended the trial. According to the prosecution, Shanae Brooke was stabbed 13 times, including 5 times in the throat, which confirms the intent to kill.

Prosecutor Giorgi Kobuladze explained that after committing the murder, Rafael Mursakulov hid the body, threw leaves over it and planned to burn it. According to Kobuladze, the accused was sane at the time of the crime, fully aware of what he was doing.

Rafael Mursakulov was arrested for murdering Shanae Brooke, who went missing on July 30. The body of the young woman was found on Mtatsminda mount slope on July 31.

By - Elene Dobordjginidze

Justice/Crime

Shanae Brooke Edwards