The Permanent Criminal Court, which is sitting in Paphos, sentenced Menelaos Polykarpou, 38, to three years in prison for the case of arson of a couple of journalists and for the accusations of causing arson and malicious damage.
The president of the Criminal Court stated that the behavior of the 38-year-old is condemnable for a society. He even added that he took into account the admission of the accused, so as not to waste valuable court time, but also the compensation given to the complainants. He also ordered that the penalties be met.
The court also referred to the speech of the defense attorney of the 38-year-old lawyer Daniel Daniel, according to which the lawyer stated that his client showed practical remorse and that it was an act that was recklessly executed, without, however, as he said, the seriousness of offenses.
He even added that the two sides have reconciled, while he asked the Court to show maximum leniency due to the overall attitude of the accused.
According to the lawyer, his client has no income, however he gave 700 euros as partial compensation for the damage he caused to the complainants. However, he promised that after serving his sentence he would find a job and compensate the remaining amount to the complainants.
Mr. Daniel also referred to his client's white criminal record, noting that the crime was a black page in his life. As he said, he did not think about the consequences of his act, nor did he want to cause bodily harm. He also mentioned that his client has been an orphan since he was 23 years old, and he was peaceful.
Moreover, according to the facts of the case of the arson of the vehicle of a couple of journalists in Paphos, as said by the representative of the accusing authority, lawyer of the Republic Andrea Hatzikyrou, the car of the couple of journalists Stavroula and Marios Ignatius was parked on 19.3.2018 in the yard of their house.
The fire, which broke out at 03:25 a.m., completely destroyed the car and caused damage to the exterior walls of the house and a neighbor's vehicle. Further examination revealed that the fire was started maliciously.
The 38-year-old man, who has been detained for 16 months in the Central Prison, was arrested for the case.
It is noted that the accused admitted the charges. In fact, the couple of journalists had stated before the Court that they do not take revenge on the perpetrator and that since he admitted and apologized for his actions, they have nothing against him. They also wished him a second chance in life.
The president of the Criminal Court congratulated the couple of journalists and said that this is the first time they have encountered such an encounter. The complainants did not even ask for a compensation order.
Meanwhile, the second person arrested in the case was acquitted of charges 2 and 1 of conspiracy to commit a felony.
