Pafos Live 30/10
A new case of electronic fraud against a Greek Cypriot woman working in an accounting office is being investigated by the police.
According to her complaint to the Paphos Police Department, the woman was deceived by a fake message allegedly sent to her by a commercial bank to update her details.
When she entered her details, a sum of €6,000 was deducted from her account.
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Members of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (DAOE - Y.K.A.N. - Y.P.E.E.) arrested a 22-year-old man yesterday as part of an operation to investigate a case of illegal import and possession of drugs, possession of drugs for the purpose of supply, money laundering and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The investigation of the case began in cooperation with the Customs Authorities, after the arrival in Cyprus, on October 26, 2026, of a package containing cannabis, with a total gross weight of two kilograms and 560 grams, with details of a specific recipient.
As part of the examinations, yesterday at noon, a 62-year-old taxi driver received the package from a point in Engomi and was arrested for a flagrante delicto.
At the time of his arrest, he stated that he had gone to the scene on the orders of a customer, to pick up and transport the package to a specific address, without knowing its contents.
Further examinations revealed testimony against the 22-year-old, who was spotted moving in a vehicle in the area. His vehicle was put under surveillance and then stopped for inspection in Engomi.
During the subsequent search of his car, three nylon packages containing cannabis, with a total gross weight of about 100 grams, were found on the mat of the passenger seat, as a result of which the 22-year-old was arrested for a flagrante delicto.
Further investigation of the vehicle found cannabis in various packages, with a total gross weight of about three kilograms and 836 grams. The amount of €4.330 and five mobile phones were also found and confiscated in the possession of the 22-year-old.
The 62-year-old was taken to the offices of Y.K.A.N. Nicosia, where he was interrogated, without anything coming out against him. A search of his home followed, with his written consent, without finding anything illegal. The 62-year-old was released that same night.
The 22-year-old is expected to be brought before the Nicosia District Court today, for the issuance of a detention order.
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PAPHOS: 80-year-old strikes two female cyclists – One in serious condition
A serious traffic accident occurred yesterday afternoon, around 15:30, in Paphos—on the main road between Polis Chrysochous and Androlykou—when an 80-year-old driver struck two female cyclists. Specifically, the 80-year-old’s vehicle hit the rear of one woman’s bicycle; she, in turn, collided with the second cyclist who was riding ahead of her.
According to the Police, the 80-year-old driver—a Greek citizen and permanent resident of Cyprus—struck the cyclists while attempting to overtake them.
One of the women was transported to Paphos General Hospital, having sustained an orbital fracture and contusions to her knees. The 50-year-old, who is seriously injured, is a national of Vietnam and was residing in the Republic of Cyprus illegally.
The second woman—also a Vietnamese national—left the scene before the Police arrived. The case remains under investigation; the 80-year-old driver has been questioned, while efforts continue to locate the second cyclist.
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Filenews
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 a result of the preventive police operations, four persons were arrested for various offences, including theft of motorcycles, insult and assault on a police officer and theft.
As part of these operations, during the night, 467 drivers and 99 passengers were stopped and checked. At the same time, 26 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, where two complaints emerged.
During traffic checks carried out, 285 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, while four investigated cases of traffic violations also emerged.
Of the complaints made, 85 concerned exceeding the speed limit, while as part of the police examinations, three vehicles were detained.
112 alcohol tests were carried out, which resulted in nine complaints.
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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An operation by the Anti-Narcotics Agency in Nicosia is underway, which led to the arrest of two Greek Cypriots, following information about a package that allegedly contained about 2,5 kilograms of cannabis and had arrived at a courier company.
According to information, members of YKAN, after evaluating information that came into their possession, set up a trap outside a courier company, waiting for the arrival of the person who would receive the suspicious package.
At some point, a person went to the scene to pick up the package, which allegedly contained a quantity of cannabis weighing about 2,5 kilograms. At the same time, a second suspect was allegedly waiting outside the company, riding in a different vehicle.
A chase followed by members of YKAN, who managed to stop the two vehicles. During the checks carried out, an additional amount of drugs was found.
Two people were arrested in connection with the case, while YKAN investigations are in full swing.
Update of how the incident evolved
With twists and turns, reminiscent of a police thriller, the police operation of YKAN and DAOE unfolded, which led to the seizure of almost 6,6 kilograms of cannabis in Nicosia and the arrest of a 22-year-old. In the frame of the case, according to information from Filenews, there is a package full of drugs from the USA, the alleged 22-year-old perpetrator who was watching the undercover police officer and a taxi driver who almost got involved without knowing it.
According to information from Filenews, the case began to unfold on October 26, when a quantity of cannabis with a total gross weight of about 2,66 kilograms was found in a package that arrived, through a courier company in Nicosia, from the United States of America.
The authorities, having received the information, proceeded with a controlled delivery process, replacing the cannabis with dummy, in order to monitor the progress of the package and locate the person who would receive it.
On the same day, a police officer acting under cover, pretending to be a delivery man, contacted the alleged recipient of the package, who spoke Greek, by phone and told him that he was at work and could not pick up the package.
In fact, he allegedly asked the alleged distributor to leave the package at a specific point behind the parking lot of an apartment building, claiming that his wife would pick it up when she got off work.
He followed the policeman to the pharmacy
While communication about the delivery was underway, members of the monitoring team spotted a vehicle moving suspiciously in the area of the apartment building. The vehicle entered the parking lot, went around the complex and left.
However, his presence did not go unnoticed, as, according to information, when the undercover police officer left the area, he found that the same vehicle was following him.
The policeman headed to a pharmacy, where he parked and entered the store. On his way out, he noticed the driver of the vehicle following him heading on foot to the same pharmacy.
The police officer then got into his vehicle and drove away, no longer being followed.
"Leave it inside the apartment building if the door is open"
In the meantime, the effort to deliver the package continued with successive telephone communications and text messages. According to information from "F", on October 26, around 3.30 pm, the alleged recipient sent a message to the undercover police officer, stating: "My wife should come a little faster, if she is left inside the apartment building if the door is open".
This was followed by an inspection by the monitoring team, during which it was found that the two entrances of the apartment building were closed. Communications continued, however, delivery was not possible and the alleged delivery man informed the man that the package had been transported back to the courier company's offices.
The next day, despite the presence of the undercover police officer at the company's offices, no person appeared to pick up the package. After a new telephone communication with the alleged recipient, a second delivery attempt was requested on October 29.
"He left it in the parking lot behind the tank"
On Thursday morning, the undercover police officer again undertook the transport of the package, while the surveillance team located the suspicious vehicle moving again near the apartment building.
According to information, the man with whom the police officer communicated stated that he was still at work and that he would work until the evening, asking for the package to be left in a part of the apartment building.
A little later, a new text message followed with specific instructions, from the alleged recipient which characteristically stated, "if you ever pass by again, leave it in the parking lot behind the tank or inside the apartment building, my friend, I am going seven out of work myself and my wife thank you".
Following the instructions he received as part of the operation, the undercover police officer returned to the apartment building and placed the package in a specific part of the parking lot, near a large water tank.
The scene was under constant police surveillance, while the policeman's attempt to contact the alleged recipient again did not work, as his phone was turned off.
"I'm a Bolt taxi driver and I came to pick up a package"
The reversal occurred shortly after one in the afternoon, when instead of the person with whom the undercover police officer was communicating, a taxi appeared in the parking lot. According to information, the vehicle entered the apartment building and moved towards the place where the package was.
The driver, aged about 60, parked nearby, got out of the vehicle and, while talking on the phone, headed towards the parcel.
When he bent down and took the package in his hands, a police officer who was in the area approached him, revealing his status and explaining to him the reason for his presence.
Then, according to the same information, the driver characteristically stated that he is a bolt taxi driver and "I came to pick up a package". The driver was initially arrested for the self-inflicted crime of illegal possession of a class B controlled drug, while when his attention was drawn to the law, he reportedly replied, characteristically, "I don't know anything".
He was then taken for questioning, while a search was carried out at his home. However, according to the information, nothing came out against him, nor was anything illegal found in his home, as a result of which he was released.
"A strong smell of cannabis was emanating from the vehicle"
While the taxi operation was progressing, the police relocated the vehicle that had previously followed the undercover police officer. Around 1.30, members of the Police proceeded to stop the vehicle in the area of Engomi.
According to information, during the inspection, it was found that a strong smell of cannabis was emanating from the inside of the vehicle. From the search that followed in the vehicle, three nylon packages containing cannabis with a total gross weight of about 100 grams were initially found on the mat of the passenger seat.
The searches continued in other parts of the vehicle, where additional quantities of cannabis with a total gross weight of approximately 1.836 grams were found, as well as four other airtight packages containing two kilograms of cannabis.
In total, approximately 3,94 kilograms of cannabis were found in the vehicle.
The sum of €4.330 was also found in the possession of the young man, while five mobile phones were also confiscated from the vehicle.
The suspect was arrested and taken to the offices of YKAN, where during his oral interrogation he made various allegations. Subsequently, a search of his home was carried out without finding anything illegal.
They are looking to find partners and recipients
Based on the same information, the police investigations are in the initial stage, with investigators trying to determine who called the taxi to pick up the package and whether there are other people involved.
At the same time, the details of the sender of the package from the USA are being put under the microscope of the authorities, as well as the possibility that the suspect is linked to previous drug shipments to Cyprus.
Investigators are expected to take about 20 statements, examine CCTV footage and conduct investigations to identify potential associates or buyers of the drugs.
The young man is being investigated for offenses of illegal importation, possession of cannabis for the purpose of supplying another person, conspiracy to commit a felony, as well as a crime of money laundering.
The young man was brought before the Nicosia District Court today, which approved the Police's request for his eight-day detention.
The suspect's defense attorney, Mr. Nikos Koromias, did not object to the issuance of the detention order.
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The attack with stones against a police official vehicle that took place on the night of October 27, 2026, in Larnaca is condemned by the Equality Guild.
In a statement, the Trade Union states that the attack on police officers performing their duty cannot be treated as an ordinary incident of damage to property, but "it is an extremely dangerous and unacceptable action, which could have a tragic end".
Describing the incident, he states that the members of the Police responded to a call for an incident in the area of the Holy Church of Timios Prodromos and during their passage they were attacked by unknown persons.
He adds that the stones shattered the front windscreen and caused extensive damage to the vehicle. "Fortunately, no member of the Police was injured. The immediate and complete investigation of the case, to identify those responsible and bring them to justice, is a one-way street", he says and calls on "anyone who knows anything about the incident to report it to the competent authorities".
He notes that "the Guild stands by its members and expects the State to ensure that those who attack police officers will face the consequences provided for by law", stressing that "the safety of the members of the Police in the performance of their duty is non-negotiable".
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The 35-year-old Bulgarian, who was arrested for the case of importing a quantity of methamphetamine weighing one kilogram and 197 grams into Cyprus, through a postal package from France, was referred to a direct trial before the Limassol Permanent Criminal Court.
According to information on our website, the package was declared as car parts. During his interrogation, the 35-year-old claimed that he was acting on the instructions of a third person. At the same time, he allegedly gave specific information, which is under investigation by YKAN Limassol.
The case was set for the start of the hearing in early January 2027, while the accused remains on trial until the start of the trial.
The seizure of the quantity of methamphetamine was carried out by members of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (DAOE) and the Anti-Drug Service (YKAN), as part of an operation carried out in the districts of Larnaca and Limassol. The investigation of the case then began in cooperation with the authorities of a European country, who informed about the transport to Cyprus of a postal package containing a quantity of methamphetamine of one kilogram and 197 grams.
Following the cooperation of the DAOE with the Customs Department, the package was located on October 21 at Larnaca airport, where it had arrived from France. On October 23 in the afternoon, during the delivery of the package, the 35-year-old presented himself as its recipient and the members of the Police proceeded to arrest him.
The 35-year-old is facing offenses related to the import and possession of drugs, possession of drugs for the purpose of supplying another person, as well as money laundering.
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The Court of Appeal unanimously rejected the appeal of the convicted person, upholding the prison sentences imposed on him for possession and use of cannabis, as well as the decision to serve them consecutively with a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence he was already serving for burglary. With the successive execution of sentences, the total length of imprisonment amounts to 39 months, which the court considered fair and proportionate to his overall criminal behavior.
The decision concerns offenses committed on March 21, 2023. The man had been found guilty, after admission, by the Paphos District Court of possession of a class B controlled drug. Specifically, a half-smoked handmade cigarette eight centimeters long, which contained tobacco mixed with traces of cannabis, as well as for cannabis use.
For the first charge, he was sentenced to four months in prison and for the second nine months. The two sentences were ordered to concur, but after the two-and-a-half-year prison sentence that the convict was already serving for burglary of a building in another criminal case.
In his appeal, the convicted person argued that the sentences were manifestly excessive and that the court of first instance did not sufficiently take into account the mitigating factors in his favour. He also questioned the successive execution of sentences, arguing that the principle of the totality of the sentence, according to which the total punishment must be proportional to the whole of the criminal conduct, is violated.
The Court of Appeal rejected his claims, pointing out that the court of first instance had taken into account the factors brought before it, as well as the appellant's criminal record. Specifically, when determining the sentence, four of his previous convictions were taken into account, which concerned the period 2018-2022, as well as another criminal case that included, among other things, illegal possession of property for which there was a reasonable suspicion that it was the product of theft.
The court emphasized that in cases involving narcotic substances there is a need to impose dissuasive penalties, while previous convictions limit the margin of leniency. It also held that the claim that the court of first instance had taken into account a subsequent offense was not correct, clarifying that the relevant reference concerned a case with an offence committed before the offences in question.
In relation to the successive execution of sentences, the Court of Appeal noted that the relevant decision falls within the discretion of the court, which must take into account the circumstances of each case and ensure that the overall sentence is not disproportionate. In the present case, it considered that there were sufficient reasons not to deviate from the general rule of successive enforcement.
In conclusion, the Court of Appeal ruled that the total sentence of 39 months did not violate the principle of proportionality and dismissed the appeal in its entirety, upholding the first instance decision.
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The Court of Appeal unanimously rejected the appeal of a man, upholding his conviction by the Nicosia District Court for violating the measures against the spread of the coronavirus, due to not using a protective mask when moving in a vehicle with a person from a different household.
The Court of Appeal ruled that all five grounds of appeal raised by the convicted person were unfounded, maintaining in force the first instance decision by which he was fined €350, plus €75 court costs.
The case concerned an incident that took place on March 27, 2021 in Nicosia, when, according to the accusation, the man was travelling in a vehicle with another person from a different household, without wearing a protective face mask, in violation of the relevant decree of the Minister of Health, which had been issued in the context of the measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first three grounds of appeal concerned the allegation that the conviction was handed down in the absence of the accused, without knowing the actual time of the trial of the case. The appellant claimed that he had been informed of a different hearing time and that, when he came to court with his lawyer, he was informed that the case had already been heard. In his version, this development violated his constitutional rights, as well as his right to a fair trial, as guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.
Reviewing the case file, the Court of Appeal found that on January 5, 2024, when the court of first instance heard the case, the defendant was absent and was not represented by a lawyer. It was recorded in the minutes that the case was set for 8.30 a.m., while the process began at 9.01 a.m. The Prosecuting Authority requested that the trial proceed in his absence, a request which was accepted and presented the testimony of a police officer.
The Court of Appeal underlined that the official minutes are of decisive importance for the examination of the proceedings before the court of first instance. As he noted, the appellant's claims about the events that preceded it could not be taken into account, as they were not accompanied by testimony that had been presented and approved in the context of the appeal. At the same time, he stated that no request for correction of the minutes had been submitted.
The court also pointed out that the court of first instance had the possibility to proceed with a summary trial in the absence of the accused. As the grounds of appeal did not specifically challenge the application of this provision, the relevant claims were rejected.
The last two grounds of appeal concerned the evaluation of the testimony and the judgment that the accusation was proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The appellant cited contradictions in the testimony of the police officer, mainly in relation to the issuance of out-of-court notices to him and the driver of the vehicle.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the specific references were insignificant, as the issue of issuing an out-of-court order was not the disputed subject of the case. On the contrary, the police officer had clearly testified that the appellant was riding in a vehicle with another person in violation of the legislation in force at the time. The credibility of the witness had been accepted by the court of first instance and the relevant judgment had not been challenged by the appeal.
In conclusion, the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal in its entirety and upheld the first instance decision, ruling that the appellant's claims did not justify the reversal of his conviction.
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The attempt of the lifer hairdresser to reopen his case fell on deaf ears, citing "new testimony" from inside prisons that overturned the initial conclusion. The Supreme Court rejected his application, finding that the disputed subsequent witness statements attempting to refute previous testimony do not in any way constitute a "new element or fact" for the purposes of Article 9(3)(d) of the Law, for the reopening of the case.
The lifer hairdresser had occupied public opinion both with his heinous act of killing his girlfriend who was pregnant and her 3,5-year-old child, as well as with his episodic escape in September 2024.
The Paphos Permanent Criminal Court found him guilty in 2012 of the offenses of premeditated murder of Lulia Oboroc, aged 24, formerly from Moldova, the murder of her daughter Victoria Pozidou, aged 3 1/2, formerly from Paphos and possession of a firearm, cartridges and explosives, which were committed on 11/12/2011. This decision was upheld on 6/4/2015 on appeal by the Supreme Court.
With an application through his lawyer Savvas Matsas, the applicant seeks from the Supreme Court to order that his case be reheard, either by the Court of Appeal or by the Criminal Court. The applicant claims that the retrial of his case is justified by the fact that, as he claims, new evidence emerged after the issuance of the conviction, which creates a fundamental rift both in the conviction Decision of the Paphos Permanent Criminal Court, dated. 31/10/2012.
In particular, he argues that the new evidence concerns the prosecution witnesses who testified before the Criminal Court, M.K.72 Georgios Shahbazov and M.K.103 Antonis Prokopiou Kitas and is of such scope and importance as to demonstrate that these key witnesses did not testify before the Criminal Court truthfully, either for personal reasons, or at the instigation of the Police.
According to the applicant, the erroneous acceptance of their testimony and the weight attached to it contributed to his conviction, with the result that the new evidence overturned the foundation of the conviction. It is the applicant's position that the conviction was largely based on the testimony of these witnesses, which was fabricated and false, and that the new evidence that emerged after his final conviction confirms his version and claims, making the conviction precarious, unjust and capable of being overturned. In essence, he argued that:
-With regard to the evidence that emerged in relation to the testimony of Georgios Shakhbazov, M.K.72, the applicant states that the witness in question had, with an affidavit dated dated 2008. 1/6/2020, retract the previous testimony and the testimony he had given before the Criminal Court, admitting that they were false as he was not at the scene of the crime, claiming that the reason he testified falsely was because he believed that this would serve his own criminal cases.
-Regarding the evidence that emerged in relation to the testimony of Antonis Prokopiou Kitas, M.K.103, the applicant attaches a copy of A.M.'s testimony which was taken on 20/1/2017 by the lawyer Loukis Loukaidis, according to which Kitas allegedly confided in him that the applicant was not the perpetrator of the crime and that he had falsely incriminated him.
The Legal Service argued in its positions that the applicant's conviction was not based solely on the testimony of M.K.103 but also independently on the strong factual testimony which remains unscathed.
The three judges of the Supreme Court ruled that neither of the two conditions for the reopening of the case was met: Either there must be new or recently revealed facts, or there must be a fundamental defect in the previous proceedings capable of affecting the outcome of the case.
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In February 2027, the hearing of the shocking case involving a 44-year-old Greek Cypriot, who is accused of sexual offenses against his 58-year-old mother-in-law, is expected to begin. The case is being heard behind closed doors before the Limassol Permanent Criminal Court and concerns seven charges, which the 44-year-old does not admit.
During today's proceedings (29/10), according to information from philenews, the accused did not admit to the seven charges he faces, which concern attempted rape, two offenses of sexual abuse, corruption of a woman with a mental and intellectual disability, sexual harassment, indecent assault and psychological violence in the family. The case was set for a hearing in February 2027 while he remains free on parole.
It is recalled that according to the complaint of the 58-year-old to the investigators of the Limassol TAE, she described a series of incidents that, as she claims, took place against her. The complaint concerned an incident that allegedly took place on July 11, 2026 and led to the arrest of her 44-year-old son-in-law. According to the complaint, the 44-year-old went to the house where his mother-in-law lives and carried out acts that were investigated by the authorities as attempted rape.
The complainant allegedly told the authorities that it was not the first time something similar had happened. As she claimed, lately the 44-year-old has been asking her to have sexual intercourse, with her refusing, while, according to her complaint, he allegedly performed other sexual acts against her.
An important item that is in the hands of the investigators is material, which was allegedly recorded by a third person during the reported incident. The presumption is expected to be presented, if necessary, in the context of the court proceedings.
A 25-year-old man was sentenced to a total prison sentence of three years and four months by the Limassol Criminal Court, for a case of car theft, arson and causing malicious damage.
The young man had stolen a vehicle in Paphos, drove it in the direction of Limassol and then abandoned it on a dirt road, after first setting it on fire. At the same time, he was found guilty of stealing a motorcycle in Limassol and causing damage to it.
The Limassol Criminal Court imposed today, Friday (30/10) the 25-year-old, who admitted the charges he faced, concurrent prison sentences of three years for arson, two years for each of the two counts of theft and nine months for each of the two counts of malicious damage. At the same time, he activated a previous four-month prison sentence, which had been suspended by the Larnaca District Court in another case, as a result of which it was executed after the new sentences were served.
According to the facts of the case, on June 2, 2026, the 25-year-old stole a car from Paphos, which its owner had parked and left unlocked, with the key inside the vehicle. The accused drove the car from Paphos to Limassol, while during the journey he threw a television that was inside the vehicle and belonged to its owner in an unknown place. He then parked the car on a dirt road and set it on fire, causing €8.000 in damage.
In another case, between July 4 and 8, 2025, he stole a motorcycle in Limassol, in which he maliciously caused damage amounting to €2.500.
In determining the sentence, the Criminal Court gave particular importance to the seriousness and extent of the criminal behavior of the 25-year-old, underlining that these were different incidents of insulting the property of unsuspecting citizens. As pointed out in the decision, his behavior indicates a serious contempt for the laws and the rights of his fellow citizens, while causing feelings of insecurity in society.
The defendant claimed that his actions were linked to his drug addiction. However, the Criminal Court clarified that dependence cannot justify the commission of the offenses. In fact, he indicated that the arson and theft of the car were committed a few months after the decision of the Larnaca District Court, on 27/11/2025, to suspend the execution of a previous four-month prison sentence imposed on him in another case.
According to the Criminal Court, the commission of new and more serious offenses demonstrates that the accused did not appreciate the opportunity he had been given.
Among the mitigating circumstances taken into account was the fact that the arson did not pose a danger to human life, nor did the fire spread or cause further damage. It was also noted that there was no pre-planning of the acts, nor did it derive any financial benefit.
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Psychiatric problems, drug addiction, homelessness and lack of family support, were cited by a convicted person asking for a reduction of the three-year prison sentence imposed on him for burglary and theft with a loot of €18.520, but the Court of Appeal unanimously rejected his appeal. A decisive role in the decision was also played by the history of cases of violence and threats against his wife, as well as the violation of a court order that prohibited him from approaching or communicating with her.
The Court of Appeal unanimously rejected the appeal of the convict, upholding the sentence of immediate imprisonment imposed on him by the Limassol District Court, as it ruled that the sentences imposed on him are not manifestly excessive, despite the problems of substance dependence and the difficult personal and family circumstances he invoked.
The offenses were committed on May 17, 2025 in Limassol, while two more cases pending against him were taken into account when determining the sentence.
These cases concerned, among other things, offences of threat, harassment, psychological and physical violence, common assault and causing bodily harm against his wife, which were committed on different dates in Limassol. The court also took into account his previous conviction for offences including burglary, theft, attempted burglary and possession of a burglary instrument, for which he was sentenced to prison in 2019.
In his appeal, the convicted person argued that the sentences were manifestly excessive and that the court of first instance did not sufficiently assess the evidence relating to his personal circumstances. He cited, among other things, psychiatric problems for which he had been hospitalized at the Athalassa Hospital, drug addiction problems, homelessness, absence of work and lack of family and social support. He also claimed that due weight was not given to his admission and his cooperation with the Police, while his previous convictions, according to his position, counted too much against him.
The Court of Appeal, however, considered that his complaints were unfounded, noting that the court of first instance had taken into account all the evidence put before it, including the personal and family circumstances of the convicted person. Particular reference was made to his addiction to hard substances, the interruption of communication with his two minor daughters after the breakdown of his relationship with his wife, as well as the fact that he had soon abandoned a treatment program.
At the same time, the court underlined the seriousness of the offenses and the alarming increase in burglaries and thefts, pointing out that such crimes affect the sense of security of citizens. In his assessment, he also measured the gravity of the offences concerning the convict's wife, as well as the fact that he had ignored a court order prohibiting him from approaching her at a distance of less than 100 metres or communicating with her in any way.
As mitigating factors, the court of first instance had taken into account his admission, his cooperation with the police authorities, the report of the Welfare Office and his efforts to get rid of drugs. However, it held that his previous conviction for similar offences justified increased severity, as it did not deter him from committing new offences.
The Court of Appeal stressed that personal difficulties cannot justify recourse to crime, especially when it comes to offenses that undermine the security of citizens. He noted, in fact, that the three-year sentence for burglary cannot be described as excessive, given that for a previous burglary and theft he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in 2019.
In conclusion, the Court of Appeal ruled that there was no reason to interfere with the sentences and dismissed the appeal in its entirety, upholding the first instance decision.
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The Court of Appeal, by its decision a while ago, sent a man from Nicosia directly to prison for killing a cat in a way that causes abhorrence.
The latter had been sentenced to two months in prison suspended for three years, however, the appellate court ruled that the sentence should not have a suspensive character, ordering its immediate execution.
Thus, G.N. from Nicosia is taken to the Central Prison where he will immediately serve a prison sentence.
What causes a sensation in relation to the case is the details of the commission of the offense, even if more than five years have passed.
As stated in today's decision of the Court of Appeal, the convict on 5/8/21 took the life of his neighbor's cat by repeatedly hitting him on the head with a blunt object and throwing him in a trash can where he died writhing.
The appellate panel accepted the second ground of appeal of the Attorney General, represented by Elena Konstantinou. It put forward the position that it was "unjustified and erroneous to exercise the discretionary power of the Court of First Instance in relation to the suspension of the execution of the imposed prison sentence".
The Court of Appeal (Michalis Abizas, Stella Christodoulidou-Messiou, Ifigenia Stylianidou), found an error in the first instance decision and in particular in the judgment of the District Court for the suspension of the sentence.
He notes, among other things, in his verdict: "The issue of suspension remains primarily within the discretion of the Court of First Instance. However, the mitigating factors taken into account for the determination of the sentence and its amount cannot be identical and at the same time constitute a reason for the suspension of the prison sentence. All the circumstances together with the personal incidents of the offender should emerge a picture that justifies the decision to suspend (...)".
He adds at another point: "In the present case, however, the only thing that could be established is that the Court of First Instance, without detailing in its analysis of how it arrived at the present decision, essentially referred to the same elements that it took into account in order to reach the appropriate sentence. This demonstrates the error of the Court of First Instance, since, as analyzed above, the mitigating factors taken into account for the determination of the sentence and its amount cannot be identical and at the same time constitute a reason for the suspension of the prison sentence."
"There were, in this case, no peculiar personal circumstances that would necessarily lead to the emergence of an image that justified the suspension of the sentence imposed. Nor did the circumstances of the case support such a view. On the contrary, the circumstances of the case were such that they more highlighted the image that a suspension of the sentence would not reflect the objective seriousness of the offense and would not serve the multiple purposes of punishment."
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The Larnaca District Court issued a four-day detention order for a 30-year-old today, at the request of the Police, for the purpose of investigating a drug trafficking case.
The 30-year-old was arrested yesterday by members of the Investigation for Combating Organized Crime (DAOE - YKAN Larnaca), on the basis of a court warrant, which was issued after testimony that emerged during the investigation of the case.
This is the case of possession of a quantity of cannabis, with a gross weight of 934 grams, which was located and confiscated by the members of the Police, during a YKAN operation on 19/08/2026, in the province of Larnaca. During the police operation, three men aged 32, 31 and 23 were arrested, while a sum of money amounting to €13.350, sparklers and other items were also located and confiscated.
On 28/08/2026, the case was registered and referred for trial by the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca, with the 32-year-old, 31-year-old and 23-year-old defendants.
DAOE – YKAN Larnaca continues the examinations.
