Rurik Jutting: Don't be swayed by 'passion or disgust', jury in double murder trial told

The jury in the case of a British banker accused of murdering two Indonesian prostitutes has been told not to be influenced by "passion or disgust" at the torture, rape and killing the defendant has admitted carrying out.

Rurik Jutting, 31, a former investment banker with Bank of America, is accused of murdering Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, in his luxury high-rise apartment in Hong Kong in October, 2014.

The Cambridge graduate denies murder, and admits manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility owing to his substance addictions and personality disorders of narcissism and sexual sadism.

The prosecution argues that Jutting was in control of actions when he carried out the murders, citing mobile phone footage in which he described torturing and killing his victims.

Deputy High Court Judge Michael Stuart-Moore told the jury to consider whether Jutting was of "abnormal" mind at the time of the killings which diminished his responsibility.

The jury should approach its verdict intellectually, rather than be "coloured by passion or disgust that you feel at the dreadful acts which the defendant has admitted he carried out", said Stuart-Moore, reported Reuters.

As part of the trial jurors have been shown footage filmed by Jutting on his iPhone of him torturing Ningsih before he made her kneel in his bathroom and cut her throat. He goes on to describe his elation at the killing.

In other videos Jutting described buying implements including a blowtorch, a hammer and pliers with which he planned to torture his second victim.

Jutting's defence claims that pressure at work had led Jutting to abuse alcohol and cocaine. A psychiatrist testified that Jutting had been sexually abused by another pupil while a pupil at Winchester College, one of Britain's leading private schools.

Ningsih and Mujiasih's mutilated bodies were found by police in Jutting's flat in November, 2014.

The jury is due to begin considering its verdict on Tuesday (8 November).