Man stabbed to death in Limassol was defending friend (Update 3)

Two men, aged 54 and 49, have been remanded in custody on suspicion of murder after a man was stabbed to death in Limassol in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The men appeared at the Limassol district court and have been held for a maximum of eight days while the police’s investigations are ongoing.

The victim, 44-year-old father of two Marios Onisiforou, was stabbed in the neck and succumbed to his stab wounds in hospital.

Another man, aged 51, was stabbed in the face and neck and is in a critical condition.

According to police, information gleaned from testimonies has revealed that the victims were defending a friend, with whom they had gone out to a pub in Ypsonas the night before.

Around 2am two other men, with whom their friend had differences in business dealings, possibly illegal, drew him out of the premises and in a fight that ensued attacked him with knives.

The deceased, along with the other injured man, in an effort to defend him, received the brunt of the attack, while the third man, aged 43, managed to escape with an injury to his hand.

It was mentioned in court that the disagreement between the involved parties had first come about after the third man allegedly became involved in a physical altercation with his brother.

All involved in the fatal incident were Greek Cypriot.

Police arrested and took into custody two suspects, aged 49 and 54, while Limassol CID continues investigations to determine the exact nature of the events leading to the death of the man.