Demosthenous Alleged Killer Was Wearing Zorro Hat During Murder, Court Hears

The information was presented during the examination of the pre-trial detention request for the four defendants before the Limassol District Court.

The case officially went to the Criminal Court yesterday, with the start of the hearing scheduled for 29 January 2026. Investigators from the Limassol Criminal Investigation Department (CID) requested the referral for the four existing defendants, while two 28-year-old Georgians, whose extradition is pending, are expected to be added to the charge sheet upon their arrival.

While police have not confirmed a motive, initial reports suggested the murder was related to financial or business disputes. The case involves a total of 104 prosecution witnesses.

The prosecutor, Yiannos Argyrou, detailed the legal grounds for detaining the defendants, which include the risk of flight, the commission of similar offences, and the influencing of witnesses. Argyrou added that the two defendants—the 51-year-old and the 31-year-old—lack “strong ties to the Republic of Cyprus,” contributing to the flight risk.

He stressed that the defendants face the most serious charge under the Penal Code and referred to court precedents, arguing that the prima facie evidence indicates a high probability of conviction. The lawyer for the 51-year-old defendant, Alexandros Alexandrou, announced an immediate objection to the detention request, while the legal teams for the other defendants stated they would raise the detention issue at a later stage.

The prosecution proceeded to present key findings from the voluminous evidence, which directly link the suspects to the crime. Testimony from the victim’s son indicated that the motorcycle driver wore a round hat and black glasses. The prosecutor confirmed that the genetic material (DNA) found on the recovered hat matched that of the fourth defendant, the 31-year-old.

Furthermore, the State Laboratory report cited by the prosecution indicated that particles were detected on the hat. These particles are consistent with the object being used by a person who either discharged a weapon or was in very close proximity to a discharged weapon. Witness descriptions also played a role; a witness who saw the motorcycle escaping testified that the driver wore a carnival mask depicting an elderly man.

Another witness who observed the motorcycle at the scene of the subsequent vehicle arson testified that the person fleeing the burning white van ran to the motorcycle and sat in the driver’s seat. This witness stated that the second man on the motorcycle wore a “Zorro-style” hat and glasses.

The evidence file handed to the defence counsels includes dozens of statements collected by investigators.

Source: In-Cyprus