An Irish man has pleaded not guilty to murdering an American nurse in Budapest.
The man (38), whom police have identified only by his initials, is on trial in the Hungarian capital, accused of killing 31-year-old Mackenzie Michalski in November 2024.
The accused insisted her death was accidental, rather than murder, and happened during an intimate encounter.
He did admit drinking a significant amount of alcohol on that night.
The man told the judge he met Michalski, a tourist in the city, at Szimpla Kert, a popular bar in Budapest frequented by tourists.
The accused said he did not take any drugs on the night of Michalski’s death, but admitted he drank a substantial amount of alcohol, including 200ml to 500ml of whiskey before leaving the apartment and about 10 beers during the night, most of which he also consumed before meeting the woman.
Michalski, originally from Fredonia, New York, did not seem drunk when they started talking, he said.
She did not have any trace of drugs in her system, according to a toxicology report presented by Judge Szabolcs Fehér at the hearing.
The pair spent about an hour-and-a-half talking at Szimpla Kert before moving to Instant-Fogas, a nearby nightclub popular also among tourists.
The man said it was her idea to leave the club sometime between 3am and 4am.
He told the court he did not have any other clubs in mind where they could have gone, so he suggested they should go to the apartment he rented, which was a five- to 10-minute walk away.
The pair had a sexual encounter at the apartment during which Michalski died, he said. He said the victim’s death was the result of an accident.
The Irish man gave a lengthy testimony behind closed doors about the circumstances of Michalski’s death, whose family was present in the Budapest courtroom.
Police previously alleged he had attempted to cover up his crime by cleaning the apartment and concealing her body in a wardrobe before purchasing a suitcase and placing her body in it.
He then rented a car and drove to Lake Balaton, about 145km southwest of Budapest, where he is said to have disposed of the body in a wooded area outside the town of Szigliget.
Michalski was reported missing by friends on November 5th, 2024. The accused was detained two days later and has been in custody since.
The man’s lawyer asked for him to be placed under house arrest after the man’s parents purchased a flat in Budapest for this purpose.
György Magyar said the man’s family was willing to put up more than €50,000 for bail and he said his client had no motivation to flee Hungary.
The prosecution asked the judge to dismiss the defence’s proposition.
The court is to decide next week whether to allow the Irish man to be placed under house arrest.
The trial continues in April at the metropolitan court of Budapest.