Man guilty of threatening policewoman at home

A 29-YEAR-OLD Palestinian man lost his temper with a Nicosia district judge when he was found guilty of threatening a woman with assault and battery.
Mandy Al Nagar Gazy told Judge Charalambos Charalambous that the woman who had made the charges against him was a liar and had fabricated the entire story.
He was found guilty of threatening to kill a policewoman with whom he’d become obsessed in March 2008, after tracking her down to where she lived.
Reports said when he showed up at her house one night and the officer refused to invite him in, he threatened to leave his mark on her by either dousing her in petrol and setting her alight, pouring acid over her or carving up her face.
Gazy denied the charges, saying that he and the woman had been romantically involved since 2005. He reiterated this denial even after he was found guilty.
He then denied he spoke Greek, adding that in 2008, when he was said to have made his threats in broken Greek, he spoke none.
During the reading of his decision, Charalambous said it had become obvious during the trial that Gazy did speak Greek because he had corrected the Arabic translator in Greek and even responded to questions put to him in Greek before they were translated into Arabic for him.
The Palestinian political refugee, who defended himself in court, also accused Charalambous of doing nothing to help him during the trial by failing to ask his defence witnesses any questions.
When Charalambous pointed out that in Cyprus the judge’s role was that of listener and not questioner, Gazy became indignant.
“How can I prove something in court when I am from Palestine and not from Cyprus?”
Charalambous asked the Arabic translator if Gazy had asked for legal aid but the 29-year-old ignored him and charged on.
“I am going to leave Cyprus soon. I want to leave Cyprus. I have no job,” he said waving his hands in the air and breaking into Greek.
He added: “And after this charge, if she was afraid of me why would she come to my house and sleep with me? I don’t want any problems or to see any woman. I want to finish this today because I don’t want to come and go to court again after today.”
Gazy seemed ignorant of the fact that having been found guilty he could face jail time.
When the judge asked Gazy for his age, he refused to answer.
“I understand nothing. Write whatever you want,” the heavyset man said insolently and began muttering in Arabic.
Charalambous announced sentencing would take place on Friday and that until then Gazy should be held in police custody as he was a flight risk. Hearing this, the 29-year-old said: “You can take my passport. I have a job.”
The judge pointed out that a job would be of no use to him if on Friday he was jailed.
“Why would I go to jail?”
“I have been reading the decision for 45 minutes and you haven’t understood what you did?” an exasperated Charalambous asked.
When Gazy started shouting in Arabic, the judge lost his temper and also raised his voice.
“You have been found guilty. Be quiet. If you think it is the wrong decision you have the right appeal to the Supreme Court… Get out. Get out.”
Gazy was led out of the courtroom by an officer and taken downstairs to the holding cells before being driven to the Central Prisons where he will be held until Friday.
The 29-year-old told the Cyprus Mail that he did not know what had motivated his alleged ex-girlfriend to make up such a story but said she had told him to plead guilty and that he would get away with a fine which she would repay him for.
“But why should I say I am guilty when I am not guilty?” he said.
Asked how he felt to be found guilty Gazy said: “I feel good because it’s normal for the Cypriots. It’s like Israel.”