A 22-year-old man appeared before the Larnaca District Court on Sunday in connection with the attempted murderof a 33-year-old compatriot in Aradippou. The court ordered his detention for eight days, while police investigations continue. The victim is being treated in critical condition at Nicosia General Hospital.
Police are investigating the suspect for the offences of attempted murder, acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm and wounding, offences committed at 00:30 on Sunday in Aradippou.
How the events unfolded
According to the investigating officer's testimony before the court, at 00:52 information was relayed from the Message Control Centre of the Larnaca police headquarters that an injured person was at a specific location in Aradippou, with wounds likely caused by a knife.
Officers from the Aradippou Police Station went immediately to the area, where they found the injured man being picked up by an ambulance from the Accident and Emergency Department of Larnaca General Hospital.
Further inquiries established that the suspect, the victim and a third person had gone out for the night and, according to testimony obtained, had consumed alcohol. Upon their return at 00:30, they initially became involved in a heated exchange in the open outdoor area of the residence where they live, quarrelled, and then continued arguing after entering the house. The suspect, using two kitchen knives likely taken from the residence, wounded the victim in two places on the chest, three on the left arm, one in the abdominal area and one on the right palm.
The injured man was taken by ambulance to the Accident and Emergency Department of Larnaca General Hospital, where he was examined and his condition was judged serious.
Arrest and admission
After the offences, the suspect left the scene, which is also his place of residence. He was located two hours later in a neighbouring area and taken to the Aradippou Police Station for further questioning. Under oral questioning, the suspect said that he and the complainant are friends who live and work together, and admitted that he was the person who caused the victim's injuries.
The scene was cordoned off and guarded overnight, with forensic examinations carried out on Sunday. A court arrest warrant was obtained and the suspect was formally arrested at 05:05 at the Aradippou Police Station.
The investigation ahead
According to the investigating officer, the inquiries are at an initial stage and considerable investigative work remains to complete the criminal file. Some 20 statements will be taken from the suspect's workplace and from other people who live and work at the same company. A number of exhibits have been collected and will be sent for further scientific examination, a statement is expected to be taken from the suspect and any claims he makes will be investigated. Police are also searching for the two kitchen knives used in the attack, and scene reconstructions are expected to take place.
Examinations will also be carried out to establish where the suspect and the victim went on Saturday night, and whether events preceded their return at 00:30 on Sunday or took place entirely at their residence. Other people who were with the two men during their night out, beyond their colleagues, will also be sought. Inquiries will additionally be made in the area to secure closed-circuit television footage.
The suspect works in the Aradippou industrial area and, apart from his employment, has no other ties to the Republic of Cyprus.
The suspect submitted a request to the court for legal aid. His lawyer did not object to the police request for his client's detention for eight days, and the court issued an order remanding him in custody for that period.
