By Rob McLaren

THE TWO men charged with the murder of Jolanta Bledaite appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court yesterday.

Lithuanian nationals Vitas Plytnykas (40) of Hillview, Brechin, and Aleksandras Skirda (19), of Earlsdon House, Southesk Street, Brechin, appeared on a petition alleging murder, attempt to defeat the ends of justice and theft.

They made no plea or declaration and were remanded in custody while the case was continued for further examination.

The case will call again a week today, when it will be fully committed for trial.

The most senior procurator fiscal in Angus, Elisabeth Miller, represented the Crown in the case, which was heard in private in front of Sheriff Norrie Stein.

Plytnykas was represented by solicitor Steve Wilson and Skirda by Anne McKeown.

Skirda also required a Lithuanian interpreter, who came from outside the Tayside area, due to police using interpreters in the area during the course of their inquiries into the death of the 35-year-old.

Also present in court was Nikolai Zhelev, chairman of the Slavic and Eastern European Institute of Scotland, who will attend all hearings of the case.

He said, “Our sympathies are with the family of Jolanta.

“I am also helping her family with the funeral arrangements and I will visit the accused in prison.”

The accused arrived at court in the early afternoon in separate police vans, with police cars in front and behind each van. The men were ushered into the court building flanked by several police officers. Both wore white T-shirts and navy blue trousers.

They left the court together in a Reliance van, which took them to Perth Prison.