The court ordered the immediate release of the two suspects held so far in the murder of Stavros Demosthenous, rejecting a police request to renew their detention for a further eight days. After hearing submissions yesterday from the police and the defence, the bench reserved its ruling until today and then declined the application. For the 45-year-old motorcycle owner it would have been a third renewal; for the 51-year-old, a second.
Why the 45-year-old was released
In a detailed, multi-page decision, the court noted there was no new evidence and no objective element to justify keeping the 45-year-old in custody. The judge said there was no connection between the suspect and the murder scene, or any related scene, and that at this stage, on a third renewal, reasonable suspicion was weaker and the existing testimony did not meet the threshold. The mere prospect of findings emerging from telecommunications data did not justify further detention. The court also recorded that the 45-year-old had already given testimony that “unlocked” the case and led to additional arrests. On the telecoms, the judge referred to 14 contacts but said there was no clear direction as to what would be examined, no defined role and no temporal nexus. The investigation can continue, the court concluded, but there is no reason for the suspect to remain in custody.
Why the 51-year-old was released
Applying the same reasoning, the court found there was no fresh testimony against the 51-year-old. The evidence presented did not reach the required level of sufficiency. No material was put before the court to suggest that, if released, the suspect would influence witnesses, destroy evidence or otherwise hinder the investigation. As with the first suspect, the pending results of telecommunications analysis could not by themselves justify continued detention.
Police inquiries may proceed without the two men in custody. Today’s ruling, however, underscores the court’s insistence on concrete, timely evidence to support any further deprivation of liberty in this case.