A 49-year-old man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison by the Limassol Assize Court for the manslaughter of his father, after the court concluded that his diagnosed schizophrenia did not diminish his criminal responsibility.
According to the judgment, a psychiatric report presented to the court found that the defendant's mental health condition did not impair his cognitive or perceptive abilities in relation to his actions or his responsibility for them.
The report further found no evidence that he was acting under the influence of auditory hallucinations, external impulses or any recent dispute with the victim that could explain the offence.
Victim was attacked while asleep
The case concerns the killing of the defendant's father, who suffered multiple stab wounds while asleep at his home.
The victim sustained numerous injuries across different parts of his body, primarily to the chest and abdomen.
Following the attack, the defendant contacted both the police and other individuals, admitting responsibility for the killing.
Subsequent psychiatric assessment established that he suffered from schizophrenia, and he spent more than a month receiving treatment at Athalassa Psychiatric Hospital.
Court stresses seriousness of the offence
In its ruling, the court described manslaughter as an offence of exceptional gravity, emphasising that human life is the highest protected value and that sentences in such cases must serve a deterrent purpose as well as protect society.
Particular weight was placed on the circumstances of the killing, which the court characterised as an unprovoked and brutal act.
Although no evidence of premeditation was identified, the court treated several factors as aggravating:
- The use of a knife.
- The infliction of multiple stab wounds.
- The fact that the victim was asleep and unsuspecting.
- The victim's inability to defend himself or resist.
Mitigating factors considered
In determining the sentence, the court took into account a number of mitigating factors, including:
- The defendant's personal and family circumstances.
- His cooperation with investigators.
- The fact that he personally notified police minutes after the killing.
- His guilty plea.
- His previously clean criminal record.
However, the court held that these factors were insufficient to outweigh the seriousness of the offence and imposed a prison sentence of 13 years.
