University Virginia lacrosse player Yeardley Love had 'rocky relationship' with boyfriend killed her

The family of a lacrosse playing student brutally beaten to death by her boyfriend told of the abuse she suffered at a civil trial seeking $31million in damages over the killing. 

A wrongful death lawsuit brought by victim Yeardley Love's mother, Sharon Love, seeks to hold him George Hughley V civilly liable for her daughter's 2010 death. 

The lawsuit is seeking $29.5 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages.

Love family lawyer Paul Bekman showed the jury graphic crime scene photos of Love as she lay dead on her bedroom floor, with her right eye bashed in, her face bloody, and marks on her shoulder and neck. 

Love's mother and sister left the courtroom just before the photos were shown and cried softly during several other portions of the opening statements.

A medical examiner determined that Love died from blunt-force injuries to her head.

George Huguely was found guilty of beating Yeardley Love to death in 2010. The pair were both seniors at the University of Virginia and he was jealous that she had been speaking to another man. He beat her in a drunken rage 

'She died as a result of a vicious and brutal beating,' Bekman said.

Defense and prosecution experts offered differing medical opinions on the lethal consequences of her injuries. 

Huguely's attorney, Matthew Green, told jurors that Huguely admits he assaulted Love and that her family is entitled to compensatory damages in an amount to be determined by the jury. 

But he said the defense will argue that Huguely's actions did not amount to the 'willful and wanton' conduct that is required to award punitive damages. In fact, Green said, Huguely did not intend to cause Love's death.

As the civil trial got underway, Bekman, a lawyer for Love's family, showed the jury happy photos of Love with her mother and sister. He described a kind, thoughtful and caring young woman who played lacrosse, joined a sorority and kept up with a rigorous academic schedule at UVA while making sure to speak with her family almost every day.

Bekman told the jury that Love and Huguely had dated for two years, but had a 'rocky relationship' that was marred by Huguely's excessive drinking.  

Yeardley Love works with the ball is seen playing lacrosse in Charlottesville, Virginia. Nearly 12 years after Love was found dead and George Huguely, was convicted of second-degree murder in her killing, the case is now in court for a civil trial

He said fellow students will testify about earlier violent episodes when Huguely was drunk, including one that happened about a month or two before Yeardley was killed, when visiting lacrosse players from North Carolina heard Love yell, 'Help, I can't breathe,' and walked in to Huguely's bedroom to find Huguely with his 'hands around her neck.'   

The court heard how In her 9th-grade essay, Love wrote about what she wanted to do with her life: to attend the University of Virginia, to play lacrosse there, to become a lawyer and to maintain her close relationship with her family.

Many of her dreams came true, but ended abruptly and violently when she was brutally beaten by her boyfriend, a lawyer for Love's family told a jury on Tuesday in the civil trial of the man convicted in her killing.

Huguely V was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving a 23-year prison sentence in Love's slaying. 

Yeardley and Hugely both played lacrosse at UVA and were weeks away from graduation when Yeardley was found dead in her off-campus apartment in 2010.

The pair were known for their play on UVA´s nationally ranked men's and women's lacrosse teams, but they were also known for their volatile relationship. 

Yeardley died after having her head repeatedly bashed inside her bedroom.

The lawsuit has been brought by Love's mother, Sharon Love, seen right with her other daughter, Lexie

George Huguely is due to testify at the civil trial but will not be present for all of it. Huguely will be brought to court from prison on the day he is scheduled to testify, but not on the other days of the trial. He is pictured in August 2012

Love's family are suing her killer, who comes from a wealthy Maryland family 

Program for the funeral of slain University of Virginia lacrosse player Yeardley Love, May 2010

Green urged the jury to focus on the approximately eight to 10 minutes Huguely spent in Love's apartment the night she was killed. 

Huguely had gone there after a day of golf and binge drinking to confront her about the fact she'd had a relationship with a North Carolina lacrosse player. 

Green said Huguely was a 'party animal' who began drinking right after the UVA men's lacrosse team played its final game on May 1, 2010. Huguely's family was in town for 'senior day,' and he spent the next 30 hours consuming 45 to 50 drinks, using a 'conservative estimate,' Green said.

Huguely's mother is pictured Marta in 2012. His parents are divorced but he comes from a wealthy Maryland family 

The following day, Love and Huguely exchanged angry, 'immature emails,' but had patched things up by that night and were seen on video holding hands as they spent time with Huguely's family at a bar, Green said. Then, about 11:45pm, a drunken Huguely went to Love's apartment, where he kicked in her bedroom door.

During questioning by police early the next morning, Huguely said he only went to Love's apartment to talk to her, but their argument quickly turned physical. Huguely said Love's head hit the wall and they wrestled on the floor, but that when he left, she only had a bloody nose. Her roommates found her dead about two hours later.

Green said Love's visible injuries were limited to the right side of her face, which he said is 'consistent with a single impact, some kind of a fall where her face impacts the floor.'

Green said that when police told Huguely that Love was dead, his videotaped interview shows that 'he just doesn't believe it.'

'It's clear he had no understanding a fatal event had happened,' Green said.

He claimed that he 'shook her a little bit' when he was first questioned by police and was stunned to learn she had died of her injuries.

Green said the jury in Huguely's criminal trial rejected a first-degree murder charge and instead found him guilty of second-degree murder in 2014. He is about halfway through his 23-year prison sentence.

Members of the Virginia women's lacrosse team hold candles during a memorial for teammate Yeardley Love at the school in Charlottesville in May 2010

Before the start of a women's lacrosse game between Virginia and Penn State, University of Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage presents Yeardley Love's sister Lexie, left, and mother, Sharon, with a jersey with Yeardley's number in March 2011

He is due to testify at the civil trial but will not be present for all of it. 

Huguely will be brought to court from prison on the day he is scheduled to testify, but not on the other days of the trial.

'Justice has been done,' Green said. 

Green said the defense will acknowledge that Huguely's assault and battery caused Love´s death and that her family is entitled to compensatory damages in an amount to be decided by the jury. 

But Green said the defense does not believe punitive damages are appropriate.

The lawsuit was initially filed in 2012, but was later voluntarily dismissed and then refiled in 2018.

The civil trial is expected to include many of the same witnesses, although many of them are expected to testify in videotaped depositions instead of in person. 

Court officials deliver evidence to the Charlottesville Circuit courthouse for criminal trial of George Huguely V in Charlottesville in February 2012

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