A 30-year-old man facing a single charge of car theft in connection with the murder of businessman Stavros Demosthenous had his sentencing reserved for September 23, the Limassol criminal court heard on Tuesday, the same date set for the next steps in proceedings against three co-defendants still facing murder charges.

The defendant once again admitted to stealing a priest’s car on October 5 last year.

Proceedings against a second 30-year-old and a 51-year-old, previously named alongside him, were discontinued at an earlier hearing, leaving him as the only one of the original six defendants facing this narrower charge of car theft.

Prosecutors told the court the vehicle is believed to have been stolen as part of the planning of Demosthenous’ murder, committed on October 17 last year.

Police recovered the car on October 14, fitted with false registration plates.

According to the prosecution, the 30-year-old instructed another man to steal the vehicle, telling him the priest who owned it habitually left it unattended with the keys inside.

That man is alleged to have taken the car while the priest was leading a church service, then handed it to the 30-year-old in Nicosia for €300.

The 30-year-old is alleged to have then passed the vehicle on to a further person, acting on instructions he had himself received.

The defence questioned the fairness of the process, pointing to the fact that the man who allegedly carried out the theft itself has not been prosecuted.

His lawyer pointed to a welfare office report, his status as the father of a young child, his immediate admission of guilt, the return of the car to its owner undamaged, and the psychological strain of having previously faced more serious charges connected to the murder.

The lawyer also asked the court to sentence him under the law as it stood at the time of the offence, which set a maximum one-year prison term, rather than under revised legislation this year that increased the penalty.

The remaining three defendants, a 31-year-old and two 28-year-olds, face charges including premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit murder and the illegal possession, transport and use of firearms and explosives.

Demosthenous, a former chairman of Karmiotissa FC, was shot dead while travelling in his Rolls Royce driven by his 18-year-old son in Ayios Athanasios.