Filenews 30 July 2021 - byIoanna Mantziepa
A 9-year prison sentence was imposed today by the Limassol Permanent Criminal Court on the 51-year-old Russian for the fatal killing of 27-year-old Panagiotis Christoforou. It is noted that the Permanent Criminal Court, which meets in Limassol under the composition of the judges, El. Georgiou, P.E.D., K. Konstantinou, A.E.D., D. Theodorou, E.D., on 25 June found the 51-year-old Russian accused guilty of the offence of manslaughter as well as four other charges.
It is recalled that the terrible accident occurred on 28 November 2019 on the Nicosia-Limassol motorway, where 27-year-old Panagiotis Christoforou, father of an underage child, aged 5 years, died. The court in its ruling said the defendant's conduct was criminal. He had shown gross negligence, amounting to culpable negligence, as the provisions in the present case require.
According to the facts, on 27.11.2019 the 51-year-old went to a residence, where he consumed a quantity of alcohol, resulting in a state of intoxication and no capacity for safe driving. He was shaking his hands, he was having trouble standing on his feet and he wasn't speaking clearly. Around midnight, two people took him home.
Shortly afterwards, the accused, in the above situation, drove a car, first on Amathus Avenue and then entered the Nicosia-Limassol motorway, in a western direction. Before entering the highway above, he breached traffic lights, which were marked red. When he entered the freeway, he was moving in a zigzag pattern.
The Court's finding was that shortly before his collision with the victim's car, the 51-year-old was moving at a speed of around 180km, while the victim's vehicle, which was in front, was moving at a speed of around 95km. The 51-year-old violently collided with the back of the victim's vehicle, which was in the left lane of traffic. He did not take any steps to avoid the collision, despite the fact that he could do so. No signs of a brake or skid were detected at the scene.
The tests found that his blood alcohol content was 246 millimetres, with a maximum of 50 millimetres of alcohol allowed. In addition, sleeping pill substances voluntarily taken from him were found in his blood.
In the courtroom were the relatives of the unfortunate Panagiotis wearing t-shirts with his photo. Outside the entrance of the court they placed a banner that read "Justice for Panagiotis".
