A 33-year-old man was sentenced today to five years in prison, who was found guilty by the Limassol Criminal Court in the charge of the murder of 58-year-old Christakis Siakos, committed last summer, in the area of Moni.
The 33-year-old hit the 58-year-old with his vehicle, after a quarrel and a fight, in relation to drug dealing, in the presence of the 28-year-old son of the victim.
According to a court statement, the accused did not cause the death of the victim by an illegal act but by an illegal omission, which constitutes culpable negligence, while he reminds that the 33-year-old went to Limassol to buy drugs from the victim and his son, for the amount of 180 euros.
Instead of drugs, he adds, he was given Himalayan salt, while when he realized that he had been deceived, he got out of the car to get back the amount he had paid. When the victim's son refused, a fight ensued and at some point, the accused, after taking the money, got into the car in order to escape, but the victim and his son stopped him.
The victim, it is added, was holding the door of the vehicle to keep it open, while the right leg of the accused was out of the car, as a result of which he suffered injuries from the knocks on the door.
When he managed to close the door, the court announcement continues, the accused noticed the victim moving towards the front of the car, but without knowing exactly where he was, since it was dark and the lights of the vehicle were off.
"The accused failed to check the road and where the victim was, hoping that he would be able to escape", he states and adds that his death ".
The court also referred to the gravity of the crime, pointing out that it is reflected not only in the sentence provided by law but also in the sad fact that in recent years, the loss of human life as a result of road accidents has reached alarming proportions.
"They have multiplied dangerously and become a social scourge, which makes the element of deterrence more pronounced in the choice of punishment", notes the court, which considers it inconceivable that there is no active participation of justice in the daily fight against fatal road accidents. .
In addition, he noted that the loss of human animals, property damage, serious injuries and disabilities as a result of road accidents "are a devastating wound to our society."
This situation, he adds, unfortunately continues because obviously some unscrupulous drivers do not want to be prudent or even realize that, in order to alleviate the sad phenomenon, a constant effort is required for prudent driving and respect for the rights of people who use the roads.
Furthermore, in his decision he pointed out that the current legal framework does not give the court power when convicting a person of "the most serious form of negligence, other than that of Article 205 of the Penal Code, to deprive the offender of possessing or receiving driving license, while for the less serious offenses of negligence, such power is provided ".
In calculating the sentence, the court took into account, among other factors, the immediate admission of the accused, his white criminal record, cooperation with the Police Authorities, his personal and family circumstances, as well as the pressure that led him to negligence. his behavior, which is reduced to culpable negligence.