A 50-year-old man who stands accused of shooting his brother-in-law dead appeared in Paphos court on Monday.
His victim was 43-year-old Stylianos Stylianou. The suspect and Stylianou were reportedly at a social gathering at a residential property in Peyia in July when an argument broke out, which eventually led to the man allegedly pulling out a shotgun and shooting Stylianou dead.
In court on Monday, the man’s lawyer, Neophytos Christou, asked for more time so as to be able to receive further witness testimony.
The lawyer for the prosecution, Andreas Hadjikyrou, did not object, and as such the court set the next hearing for November 25, when the man is expected to respond to the charges brought against him.
The man has reportedly admitted to having committed the crime.
The property at which the shooting took place belongs to the suspect, who, according to the police, resides there with his wife and their young children. The victim’s parents, who are the suspect’s parents-in-law, live in a separate unit at the back of the property.
It was heard in court at an earlier hearing that the argument had broken out due to “differing opinions among family members on personal matters”.
The suspect reportedly told his relatives to leave his home. In the process, he allegedly pushed his mother-in-law, the victim’s mother, causing her to fall to the ground.
It is believed that this moment was the catalyst that escalated the verbal dispute into a physical altercation, which ultimately led to the murder. The suspect reportedly shot Stylianou with a shotgun, causing fatal injuries.
He then left the scene and later headed to the Paphos general hospital, where he reported abrasions on his legs and several bruises, before being arrested in connection with the murder.
He was hospitalised at the Athalassa psychiatric hospital after undergoing a psychiatric examination later in July.
