Costas Antoniou, 45, accused of shooting dead 52-year-old Charalambos Constantinides on June 25 in Ormidia, did not admit to premeditated murder in court on Thursday.

Antoniou has already confessed to the murder but said it was not premeditated.

Antoniou was brought before the British bases court in Dhekelia, which heard that the defendant had opted to stand trial in the bases instead of the Republic of Cyprus.

A supreme judge in the UK joined the procedures on Thursday through a teleconference.

The trial will continue on September 3.

Until then, Antoniou will remain in custody.

Constantinides, 52, from Paralimni, was killed on June 25 at an autobody paint shop on the Ormidia-Xylophagou road, within the British bases area.