Paphos court acquits man of attempted murder charges

A 31-year-old charged with the attempted murder was acquitted on Monday by the Paphos criminal court

Testifying in court, the defendant claimed it was an act of self-defence, explaining that following an altercation, the 34-year-old plaintiff hit him with a vacuum cleaner pipe, which prompted him to pick up a knife from the table and strike the plaintiff three times.

He added that the plaintiff kept hitting him, which resulted in him fleeing the apartment.

The plaintiff’s version of events was deemed unreliable and was not accepted by the Paphos criminal court. The court pointed out gaps and inconsistencies in his narrative, adding that his testimony came across as insincere.

According to the court’s judgement the main component of a murder attempt – the perpetrator’s intent to cause the death of the victim – could not be proven, as the incident in question did not appear premeditated and there was no motive or conduct suggesting that intent.

The defendant has been in custody for seven months, the duration of the hearing, which involved 15 witnesses.

At the time of the incident on May 5, 2020, he was on holiday in Paphos but had been unable to return to his home country due to coronavirus travel restrictions.

He told police following his arrest, the older man was waiting for him at his apartment along with two others, who he also identified, to beat him up.

The plaintiff said he was merely looking for him because the defendant owed him €50.

An ambulance was called to the scene and the 34-year-old was taken to Paphos general hospital. He sustained wounds from a sharp object to his hand, abdomen and chest, and was treated in the intensive care unit.

His condition has since been deemed stable.