Two more remanded in Latsia death, seven suspects now in custody

Two more men, aged 27 and 28, suspected of involvement in the killing of a 61-year-old in Nicosia were remanded for six days on Saturday, police said.

The two suspects follow another five individuals already remanded for the killing of Dorotheos Demetriades, who was beaten to death at an apartment building in Latsia on Wednesday evening.

Earlier on Saturday, the two suspects, the 28-year-old arrested in the morning and the 27-year-old arrested on Friday night, appeared in Nicosia District Court, where they were remanded for six days.

Following this latest remand, the number of suspects currently in custody are seven.

Police found the victim after they received an anonymous tip about people attacking an individual in Latsia.

Before he lost consciousness and died, the victim told officers that he was beaten by a group of people.

State pathologists were called to the scene and upon initial examination, determined that the 61-year-old had numerous external injuries.

During investigations at the scene, police secured witness testimony implicating the first three suspects who were arrested on Thursday.

According to reports following the court hearing on Thursday, the victim had become involved in a dispute between two women at the complex that had sparked up earlier in the day.

He was a relative of a woman who had complained to the 31-year-old female suspect about the disturbances caused by her children in the communal areas. The female suspect has four minor children with the 35-year-old male suspect.

The reports said that the attack on Demetriades had taken place in front of the children after he had allegedly gone to the couple’s apartment to discuss the dispute that had taken place earlier in the evening on the ground floor after he and his female relative had filed a complaint with Latsia police.

He had gone to the second-floor apartment around 7pm in an attempt to resolve the issues but the reports said the row escalated again and other people, several friends of the 35-year-old suspect arrived at the apartment.

CCTV footage reportedly shows the victim lying on the ground at the entrance to the apartment. Five more people then arrive, including a 26-year-old suspect who was remanded with the couple on Thursday.

The victim, according to the reports was beaten while lying on the ground. He was then dragged to the stairs all the while being kicked in the face and stomach.

He managed to get up and was dragged downstairs to the entrance of the building where he was found lying on his back by police. He died at 7:22pm and was certified as deceased at 10pm after state pathologists arrived at the scene.