Police spokesperson Vyron Vyronos, speaking to Sigma on Monday, dismissed allegations that the police failed to adequately respond to a complaint made before the fatal stabbing of 26-year-old Alexandros Antoniou.
He confirmed that a complaint had been filed but insisted that officers acted appropriately.
He added that further details could not be disclosed publicly due to the active investigation.
The complaint in question was made by a 26-year-old woman on Wednesday afternoon, roughly half an hour before the stabbing.
She reported that the previous night, Antoniou had visited her home and slashed her car’s tires.
Vyronos acknowledged the report, as well as a previous complaint relating to the same individual, but did not provide additional information.
The fatal incident occurred at around 6.15pm on Wednesday, November 19, outside a kiosk in Konia.
Under circumstances still being investigated, Antoniou and a 58-year-old man, the father of the woman who filed the earlier complaint, became involved in an altercation.
During the confrontation, the older man allegedly drew a blade and stabbed Antoniou multiple times.
According to police, the initial blows were delivered while Antoniou was seated inside his vehicle.
The suspect is believed to have then opened the passenger door and continued stabbing him, striking him in the neck, back of the head and thigh.
Antoniou was rushed to Paphos general hospital and subsequently transferred to a private hospital, where he remained in critical condition until he succumbed to his injuries at 2.44am on Saturday.
The postmortem carried out by state forensic pathologist, Nikolaos Charalambous, concluded that the fatal wound was to the neck, which severed the right carotid artery.
The 58-year-old suspect, who was already detained in custody was brought before the court later on Saturday and remanded for eight days.
Police inquiries are ongoing, with investigators examining CCTV footage, gathering additional statements and reviewing telecommunications data.
Antoniou’s funeral will take place on Tuesday at 2.30pm at Apostolos Andreas in Emba.
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