Filenews 12 April 2026
The presence and action of the Police last night was intense, throughout Cyprus, with organized patrols in key points of urban areas, with the aim of preventing serious criminal acts, ensuring public order and increasing the sense of security of the public.
As part of these operations, a person was arrested under an arrest warrant, for an investigated case of conspiracy to commit a felony and causing malicious damage.
During the night, 288 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 408 persons on board were checked. At the same time, 23 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency.
During traffic checks carried out, 66 complaints were made about various traffic violations, of which 16 concern speeding. Also, as part of the police examinations, a vehicle was detained.
Coordinated policing operations, for the prevention and suppression of crime, continue daily, with an increased/enhanced police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action, with the aim of increasing the sense of security of citizens/protecting citizens and ensuring public order.
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A fire broke out around 03:50 in the morning in Kofinou, completely destroying a boat belonging to a 67-year-old man.
According to the data, the boat was placed on a trolley, in an open field, when the fire was noticed. The Fire Service rushed to the scene, which managed to extinguish the fire, however the boat was completely destroyed.
The scene was cordoned off by the authorities, while the examinations are underway by the TAE Larnaca in collaboration with the Kofinou Police Station.
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A fire broke out around 23:00 on Friday night in Limassol, in a car owned by a 24-year-old, which was parked outside his house.
The fire was noticed by neighbours, with the Fire Service rushing to the scene and extinguishing the fire. The incident caused slight damage to the vehicle.
The scene was cordoned off by the authorities, while the examinations are expected to continue in the morning. At first glance, the case seems to be related to a malicious act, with the Limassol Police Department investigating the case.
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The Court of Appeal rejected the defendant's appeal and upheld the decision of the Nicosia District Court to detain him until his trial before the Criminal Court on May 15, 2026, ruling that there is a risk of committing new offences. The defendant faces a number of charges for offenses related to domestic violence.
The decision was issued by a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, which fully adopted the first-instance judgment, placing particular emphasis on the issue of the possibility of re-committing the offenses. The Court held that the existence of such a risk is an independent and sufficient reason for detention, without the need to consider other factors, such as the risk of evasion of justice.
The appellant faces a total of twelve charges, which mainly concern offences of violence against his wife. The charges span from 2025 to March 2026 and include common assault, threats, assault causing actual bodily harm, as well as deprivation of liberty with intent to cause serious harm.
In his appeal, the defendant argued that the Court of First Instance violated the presumption of innocence, claiming that the reference to a pending case against him and the evaluation of the witness material amounted to a premature finding of guilt. At the same time, he argued that there was insufficient basis for him to be considered to commit new offenses.
The Court of Appeal rejected these claims as unfounded, clarifying that the assessment of the risk of committing new offences does not require certainty or proof of guilt, but it is sufficient to create a strong impression on the basis of all the evidence. As noted in the decision, such an impression can arise both from the history of the accused and from the nature and circumstances of the case.
Decisive for the Court's judgment was the fact that the appellant allegedly committed new offences while he was already on bail in another criminal case. This evidence, according to the case-law, reinforces the assessment that there is a tendency for similar behaviour and therefore an increased risk of recurrence.
The Court of Appeal also underlined that the protection of society as a whole and the prevention of new offences are matters of the highest public interest, which prevail over the individual freedom of the accused at the pre-trial stage.
With regard to the claim that the Court of First Instance did not consider more lenient measures, such as the imposition of conditions or an exclusion decree, the Court of Appeal held that this possibility had been examined and rejected on a reasoned basis. He stressed that, when there is a risk of committing new offenses, there is no room to apply alternative measures to detention.
In conclusion, the Court rejected all the grounds of appeal and upheld the decision to detain, confirming that the first-instance judgment moved within the limits of discretion and on the basis of the applicable case law.
