Sentencing on November 11 for young men guilty of bullying teen

Three men found guilty in the bullying death of a 16-year-old in 2019 will be sentenced on November 11.

The three, a 20-year-old from Oroklini, and two 19-year-olds from Larnaca and Livadia, were found guilty of causing Stefani’s death through negligence.

A fourth youth, 20, from Oroklini, was acquitted.

The Larnaca district court heard their defence plea for leniency on Wednesday, saying all three apologised for their actions.

The prosecution said they had no previous record but none of them have apologised to Panayiotis Stefani’s parents to date.

The four defendants were charged with causing death by negligence after they pressured Stefani to consume large amounts of alcohol during a house party in Troulli, Larnaca.

Stefani suffered alcohol poisoning and eventually died.

Investigators had secured videos recorded during the party that showed him being bullied and pressured by peers to consume large quantities of alcohol very quickly.

This caused Stefani to vomit and later aspire some of the vomit, which led to death by asphyxiation. Toxicology test results found that his blood contained 340mg of alcohol.

The trial was held behind closed doors in the presence of Stefani’s parents and those of the defendants.