Limassol couple to stand trial for manslaughter

A 40-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman were remanded on Monday until June 17, when they will appear in court in connection with the death of a Bulgarian national who was found dead in their home in Yermasoyia on May 16.

Police officers had gone to the apartment after reports of a fight and found 36-year-old Lyubisha Ristoski dead at the scene. The man and wife who lived in the apartment were arrested at once.

The pair, who face a charge of manslaughter, will remain in custody at the Nicosia Central Prison until the start of their trial.

According to the information, police said, Ristoski had earlier gone to the apartment, along with two other suspects, a man, 35, and a woman, 31.

Limassol court heard on Monday that Ristoski and the 35 and 31-year-olds, both Greek Cypriots, had gone to the couple’s home where they used hard drugs, when a row broke out between the victim and the 31-year-old.

The victim allegedly threatened the 31-year-old with a kitchen knife and punched her, prompting the 40-year-old man to intervene and try to disarm Ristoski.

In the fight that followed, Ristoski stabbed the 40-year-old but the latter with the help of his wife was able to immobilise Ristoski. She told police that she grabbed a metal object and started hitting Ristoski on the hands to release the knife, with which he was threatening her husband.

The 35-year-old and the 31-year-old left the scene on foot, while the wife called the police. When officers arrived, they found Ristoski dead.

The exact cause of death of Ristoski has not yet been identified, as authorities are still waiting for the results of the histopathological tests, since the autopsy on the body did not provide sufficient answers.