Police failed to find the knife used to kill a 51-year-old British man in Peyia after a search of the Akamas peninsula on Wednesday, and the hunt will resume on Thursday morning.

The search followed a voluntary statement from the 20-year-old son of the victim’s 42-year-old partner, who said he threw the weapon away at a spot known as Kakoskali on the night of the killing.

His 35-year-old girlfriend, a Scot who lives permanently in Cyprus, backed his account of where it was dumped, the Paphos district court heard on Wednesday as it remanded her in custody for seven days.

According to reports, she told investigators the incident began as an argument between the victim and his partner.

She said she and the 20-year-old were both carrying knives, and that the victim also held one, which he allegedly used to threaten his partner.

In her account the 20-year-old then stabbed the victim with his own knife, and both knives were later thrown away at Kakoskali.

That differs from the son’s version, as he has admitted stabbing the man but says he used the victim’s own knife, after seeing him threaten his mother and stabbing him in the ribs.

He and his mother are held on an eight-day remand order; both say the victim brandished a knife on Monday afternoon.

The victim was found at about 6.15pm on Monday in the passenger seat of a car on Vatoudion Street, with a wound to the right side of his body, he was taken to Paphos general hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and died.

The court heard the son asked his girlfriend to drive the wounded man to hospital, where she allegedly panicked and left the car a short distance from the house.

She says she then called an ambulance, though police are still working out which of the two women made the call.

Officers found bloodstains at the house and a floor that appeared recently mopped.

The mother informed police the victim frequently used cocaine, was jealous and often beat her, and said he had previously attacked her two days before the killing.

Police investigations into the case are ongoing.