Villager ‘admits killing fellow shepherd with rock’

By Martin Hellicar

A 63-year-old shepherd was remanded in custody yesterday on suspicion of bludgeoning a deaf and mute fellow shepherd to death with a stone.

Limassol District Court heard that Kilani villager Polis Michail Magos had admitted killing father of eight Takis Onisiforou, 65, outside the village at about 3pm on Sunday.

There were angry scenes outside the court yesterday as distraught relatives of the victim tried to attack the suspect. Police had to intervene to restore order.

The court heard that Onisiforou’s head was beaten to a pulp by a large stone. The attack took place on a dirt track about one kilometre outside the Limassol district village, near to where both shepherds have their animal pens.

The court heard that Magos had told police Onisiforou had provoked the attack by throwing a stone at him.

The suspect hit Onisiforou with his stick, knocking him to the ground, and then struck him repeatedly on the head with a rock, the court heard. Police recovered a large bloodied stone – believed to be the murder weapon – near the victim’s body.

Police did not learn of the attack until about 6pm on Sunday, when a friend of the suspect called from nearby Silikou village to inform police that Magos wanted to give himself up for the murder of a fellow villager. Magos had taken refuge at his friend’s home after the attack. He was arrested there on Sunday evening.

The court heard that Magos and Onisiforou had often quarrelled in the past.

Magos was remanded for eight days on suspicion of premeditated murder.

Sunday’s was the second murder in the remote mountain village in less than 15 months.

On October 8, 1997, 66-year-old Matheos Christofi was killed in an axe attack on a village street in broad daylight.

The trial of the man charged with Christofi’s murder – 60-year-old Michalis Efstathiou Panis – is ongoing.

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