On Monday, April 3, the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca - Famagusta will impose a sentence on Sofia Grigoriou who yesterday pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy, after committing a crime for the 4th murder in Ayia Napa when on the night of June 23, 2016, the murderer Elias and Skevi Hatziefthymiou and Yani Vogli, one of the perpetrators.
During today's trial, Alexandros Clerides, Grigoriou's defense attorney, spoke about mitigation of sentence and stated, among other things, that "her admission even at this stage of the hearing process can and should be considered as a mitigating factor but also as a practical repentance." .
He explained that the only reason for the delay in the admission of Sofia Grigoriou "was and is until today the absolute fear he felt from the day of the crime, especially during the first period after the crime, which had paralyzed her mentally and physically. The accused at that time had intense anxiety with physical symptoms, decreased mood with emotion, decreased activity, insomnia, anorexia and concentration difficulties that caused memory deficits "as a result of which she was given by the state psychiatrists at the Central Prison medicine.
According to Mr. Clerides, "her cooperation with the investigating authorities took place as soon as she managed to find some mental and physical strength to think clearly" while she was in the Central Prison and "she was forced to come in contact with other people she was afraid of, is afraid of and will be afraid of. for the rest of her life. "
He also stated that the cooperation of the accused "should be considered particularly important for the investigation and the Prosecution Authority due to the information it has given and the role it played in the case".
Regarding the personal circumstances of the accused, Alexandros Clerides said that "she has a white criminal record, she was not involved in any illegal or suspicious activity at any stage of her life and her daily life was to take care of her elderly parents, especially her mother who suffers from partial paralysis of the lower extremities ".
He also noted that Grigoriou is a person who from the day of the crime, as she lived the events of the 4fold murder in Ayia Napa, "lives every day and hour under the fear that no one can help her and that her own life is in danger but and the people around her. "He is a person who was in the middle of a crime, perhaps the most serious form one can commit or be involved in."
As mitigating factors, the defendant's lawyer referred to the "extremely remote possibility of a recurrence of the crime and any delinquent behavior. Her involvement seems to be limited to that controversial night where, motivated by fear for her own life, she did not have the opportunity to react. "
He even emphasized the fact that "the accused did not know beforehand and only learned at a later stage" that she would use her personal car "in all actions as presented in the facts, unlike the other people involved in the case. She had no ultimate motive for acting the way she did, the only reason she committed the offense was the immediate fear of her physical integrity and the fact that she felt virtually helpless, while responsible for placing herself at that particular moment of events, was actions and actions of other persons involved ".
Alexandros Clerides also referred to the five-month prison sentence imposed by the Criminal Court on the former defendant in the Sotia Neophytou case, who admitted the same charge, ie conspiracy after committing a crime. She said that the big difference between the two cases is that "Sofia Grigoriou saw and lived some events that caused her immediate fear for her own life and without wishing it, she found herself in a position to know things, which immediately and instantly turned the reasons to be afraid, real ".
She also said that "the fear that remains today for her and the people around her and will exist for the rest of her life, but also the possibility of being added to the witness protection program, is something that can be considered as further punishment and will must be taken into account in the imposition of a sentence ".
He also noted that Sofia Grigoriou "apologizes and asks for the maximum leniency of the Court while promising that she will continue to take care of her parents as she did and try to be a functional, productive and creative person in society."
Mr. Clerides also stated that the accused is at the disposal of the Prosecution Authority to be used as a prosecution witness and that is, as he said, another reason to join the witness protection program.
The President of the Criminal Court appointed on Monday, April 3, at 10.30 in the morning for the imposition of a sentence on Sofia Grigoriou.
It is noted that the accused entered the courtroom wearing a bulletproof vest, while from a very early age, armed police officers also wearing bulletproof vests took up positions both inside and outside the courtroom. It is also reported that none of Gregory's three co-accused was in court today.
The defendants in the case remain Loy Dejan 42 years old, Marios Christodoulou otherwise Benny 39 years old, Panagiotis Pentavkas 38 years old, who faced together the accusations of conspiracy to murder, premeditated murder, attempted murder, acts aimed at provoking, possession of a Class B firearm, possession of a Class A firearm, possession of a Class B firearm and possession of a Class A firearm.
Source: KYPE