Dylan John Kovarskis pleads guilty to murder over January 2021 death of Nathan Russell in Sturt St, Adelaide, apartment block

A man who attacked and killed another man in a CBD apartment has insisted he’s no murderer – but today he abruptly changed his story.

A man who had already admitted killing another person in a city apartment, but denied it was murder, has confessed to the most serious crime under state law.

On Thursday, and after months of adjournments and negotiations between lawyers, Dylan John Kovarskis pleaded guilty to having murdered Nathan Russell.

Nick Vadasz, for Kovarskis, said his client was ready for the case to proceed to sentencing.

“My client had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but not guilty to murder,” he said.

“Negotiations were attempted and offers were put (to prosecutors), but they were not fruitful and they were rejected.”

Nathan Russell was killed in a vicious, targeted attack on Sturt St. Picture: Supplied.

Kovarskis, 24, was arrested in January 2021 and accused of killing Mr Russell in his apartment on Sturt St, in the city.

Previously, police alleged one of Mr Russell’s friends discovered his body, and that he had been “targeted” at his address and “subjected to a vicious attack”.

Since November, the case has been in limbo while evidence from Kovarskis’ phone, deemed “critical” by prosecutors, was examined by police.

On Thursday, Magistrate Brett Dixon remanded Kovarskis in custody to face the Supreme Court next month, when a date for sentencing submissions will be set.