King's Lynn: Woman jailed for life for unprovoked murder

Birute Klicneliene, 51, was told she must serve a minimum of 18 years in prison before being considered for parole for the murder of Dace Kalkerte.

The 50-year-old died after sustaining 25 stabbing and other wounds in the unprovoked attack at her flat in Highgate, off Gaywood Road, King’s Lynn, on April 15 last year.

Dace Kalkerte died after sustaining 25 wounds in a fatal stabbing (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

The two women had only met earlier that evening while drinking with their partners at allotments in the town.

Sentencing her at Norwich Crown Court on Friday, Judge Alice Robinson told Klicneliene: “This is not a case where there is no intent to kill.”

She said there was “no evidence of provocation or that you had been acting in self-defence”. 

Klicneliene had denied the murder claiming she had fallen asleep when the women returned to the flat. 

Police on the scene in King's Lynn after the murder of Dace Kalkerte (Image: Newsquest)

She told police she initially thought Dace was drunk, that she may have touched the blood-stained kitchen knife when she moved her, and blamed the murder on an unidentified man.

But a trial heard clothing worn by Klicneliene had been covered in blood and her DNA was on the knife.

Blood smears on the bathroom door and around the bath suggested she had attempted to clean away evidence.

Birute Klicneliene was told she must serve a minimum of 18 years in prison (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Prosecutor Andrew Jackson said the attack was due to a “spontaneous explosion of violence”.

Nicholas Maggs, mitigating, said: “Whatever happened it was not planned or premeditated. It was on the spur of the moment.

“I cannot offer any explanation for that.”

The fatal attack occurred hours after the two women had met (Image: Newsquest)

Detective chief inspector Chris Burgess said: “Klicneliene used a knife to murder Dace – a woman she had met only a few hours’ earlier and who had invited her into her home – in a sustained and brutal attack. 

“She has always denied murdering Dace and we may never know why she inflicted such deliberate and directed violence, but it has no place in our society.

“Mercifully, incidents like this are rare in Norfolk and today, my thoughts remain with Dace’s family who continue to grieve their loss; they have shown incredible bravery throughout this ordeal and I thank them for their support at this very difficult time. We will continue to support them for as long as they need us.”