Two jailed for stealing gun

A LARNACA criminal court yesterday handed out a stern sentence of three-and-a-half years imprisonment to two men charged with breaking and entering, theft, illegal possession of a firearm and arson.

Christakis Georgiou Christou, 26, and 25-year-old Pantelis Christaki Miltiadous pleaded guilty to the string of charges. According to the facts heard in court, on August 5 the two defendants broke into a house in Larnaca and stole an army-issue G3 automatic, jewellery and cash. After fleeing the scene, they ditched a motorbike they had stolen from Ayia Napa and set in on fire so as to erase any trace of fingerprints.

The defendants were seen leaving the house they robbed by a neighbour.

The defence lawyer asked the court for a mitigated sentence, arguing that the crime was spur-of-the-moment and that the defendants had no intention of actually using the G3 machine gun.