A FORMER public servant was yesterday jailed for two and a half years for causing the death of a colleague by negligent driving.
Charalambos Ioannou, 43, was found guilty by a Nicosia District Court of causing the death of 58-year-old colleague Michalis Papetsios
The victim was sitting in the passenger’s seat when Ioannou lost control of the service car he was driving at night on the Nicosia-Troodos road on October 6, 2004.
According to police, Ioannou lost control of the car, slammed into an embankment on the side of the road and hit a tree before finally crashing to halt.
Both men suffered injuries in the crash, from which Papetsios eventually died.
The car Ioannou was driving was pulling a trailer carrying material to be used in road works.
A check on the vehicle revealed that it did not have any mechanical problems or problems with the tyres.
In the wake of the crash, Ioannou was fired from his job, which had to with public road works and construction.
Police believe that Ioannou, who had also formerly served as a policeman, was speeding and failed to judge a bend in the road.
Judge Alexia Lycourgou found Ioannou guilty after he had pleaded not guilty to the charge of negligent driving.
“The conduct of the defendant, which obviously lacked any diligence expected from an average driver was instead reckless,” the judge said yesterday.
“The defendant knew only too well the conditions under which he was driving – conditions which could have caused severe bodily harm both to himself and to his passenger. Despite the danger, he continued his dangerous course.”
The judge added: “The actions of the defendant cannot be linked to a momentary lapse. On the contrary, his actions, as they were noted throughout the whole court proceeding, were due to negligence, selfishness and continuous recklessness.”
A welfare report on Ioannou showed that he was married, had one young daughter and that his wife was pregnant with their second child.
The report also showed that both he and his wife earned average salaries and that they were paying loans and mortgages.
Jailing the distraught Ioannou, Judge Lycourgou said: “After taking into account the elements of the case, I have deemed that the appropriate penalty for the defendant is two and a half years’ imprisonment and eight points off his driving licence.
“The defendant will also have his driving licence suspended for three years as of today.”
