The Limassol Assize Court has sentenced 51-year-old Stelios Antoniou to two consecutive life terms for the double murder in Ypsonas on June 29, 2023, outside a local bar. The victims were 44-year-old Marios Onisiforou and 52-year-old Michalis Michail.
A chilling testimony accepted by the court revealed that during the fight outside the bar, Antoniou threatened the victims, shouting: “You will all die tonight.” The court found him guilty of premeditated murder, ruling that he delivered the fatal knife blows to both men. Judges described him as calm and determined to cause death, stressing that he had sufficient time to reconsider his actions.
The second defendant was acquitted of premeditated murder but convicted of manslaughter. The court noted that although he initially did not know Antoniou was carrying a knife, he remained with him throughout the attack and even kicked Michail while he lay injured on the ground. Sentencing in his case was postponed to allow the defence to argue for mitigation.
In its unanimous 200-page decision, the court detailed the events before and after the killings, citing witness testimonies and CCTV footage. It concluded that both men stayed at the scene with the intent to cause harm.
The case, one of Cyprus’s most shocking recent murders, stemmed from a night of drinking and celebrations for a friend’s birthday. The defendants and victims, who knew each other, clashed after moving from one venue to the bar in Ypsonas, where the fight escalated into fatal stabbings.
The trial lasted two years, marked by multiple delays and even a trial within a trial. Prosecutor Andreas Aristidou presented testimony from 37 witnesses, while the defence called three.