A man accused of murdering his lover before folding her corpse into a suitcase “falsified” parts of his evidence “to get away with murder”, a jury has been told.

Laszlo Gyarmati, 29, pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murdering 25-year-old Alexandra Kovacs during an argument at her home in Lee Road, Mill Hill, last July.

In his closing speech for the prosecution, Jonathan Rees QC, told the Central Criminal Court that Mr Gyarmati had shown himself “capable of lying to save his own skin” before cautioning the jury to scrutinise his account before adding weight to it.

Mr Rees said: “At the very least because of the absence of witnesses, he has the opportunity to put his own spin on things to put himself in the most advantageous light.”

The court previously heard Mr Gyarmati lied to police about killing Miss Kovacs, saying she was alive when he left her home in the early hours of Thursday, July 18.

He later admitted to killing Miss Kovacs following an argument, and told the court he put her body in a suitcase before leaving it in Dollis Valley Greenwalk.

Mr Gyarmati told the court he put his hand over Miss Kovacs's mouth to get her to be quiet during their disagreement, and that when he removed his hand she “shrieked for help”.

But Mr Rees suggested the 29-year-old had attempted “to pull the wool over” the jury’s eyes.

He said: “She cried out for help suggesting that she realised or thought that she was in danger from this assault and this was more than just horse play, or play fighting.

“This cry for help suggested a far more serious assault than simply a hand over her mouth.

“We suggest the violence he inflicted on her was rather more overwhelming than he’s prepared to admit."

Mr Rees went on to claim Mr Gyarmati and Miss Kovacs’s argument about arranging sham marriages was “pretty childish” and that Mr Gyarmati “could have ignored her” or “simply left the room” instead of using violence.

The prosecution suggested Mr Gyarmati deliberately strangled Miss Kovacs and he did not call for help because he “wanted to keep it a secret”.

Mr Rees also added that “if this was an accident there is no way he would have fallen asleep” next to the dead corpse of his lover and then, having woken up, dumped her body in a suitcase.

Summing up, Mr Rees said: “He has falsified his account in order to get away with murder.”

But Mr Gyarmati’s defence barrister, Joel Bennathan QC, suggested a “rational explanation”, that the defendant was “panicked” and “shocked”.

He added: “There’s absolutely no useful purpose of moving the body from the flat. It was a nonsensical, panicked reaction.”

He went on to suggest that once Mr Gyarmati realised the consequences of his actions, he lied to the police.

Mr Bennathan will conclude his closing speech this afternoon.

The trial continues.