An 82-year-old man will face trial before the Limassol Criminal Court on July 17, 2023, after shooting a man who allegedly trespassed into his home in the Alassa village.
The accused appears to have shot a man, 67, in the back, while he was allegedly trying to steal electrical cables from his property on Sunday, June 11.
The 82-year-old is now facing charges of murder attempt, as well as transport and use of a type C firearm.
During a hearing on Wednesday, the prosecution demanded that the 82-year-old remains in custody until the start of the trial, claiming that there is a risk that the man could flee the country or influence witnesses.
In her argument, defence counsel, Maria Neophytou, said that her client is facing serious health issues and has no criminal record. “We have a grandfather born in 1941. Cypriot, with kids, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Where will he flee to?” Neophytou stressed, noting that the 82-year-old does not have a passport.
After hearing both sides, the Court said it will announce its decision on Thursday, June 22.
The 67-year-old man is hospitalised in a private clinic and is considered to be in stable condition. He has undergone surgery for multiple injuries in the back and thighs, while he is also suffering from a hematoma in the lung and a fracture to his spleen. In the next few days, authorities expect to receive his testimony regarding the case.
According to police reports, the 82-year-old claims that he shot in the air and not against the 67-year-old.
The suspect maintains that this was the second time in just three days that someone had intruded on his property to steal cables, causing a power cut to his home.
During testimony, the 82-year-old said that on the day of the incident (June 11), he had just finished restoring electricity to his property after an alleged home intrusion which took place on Friday, June 9.
He said that he exited his house around 7 pm on June 11, to check a new power cut and saw the 67-year-old on his property, trying to steal a cable. He claims that the alleged intruder was holding something and that he tried to attack him when he asked him what he was doing there.
Then, as he alleges, he loaded his gun and fired a warning shot in the air, which caused the 67-year-old to flee.
The accused then called the police and his family to report what had happened. Around 9:35 pm, his son found the 67-year-old lying wounded in an area around 300 metres away from his father’s property.
Police are continuing investigations.
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82-year-old man who shot alleged home intruder taken into custody
