A 56-YEAR-OLD Nicosia district farmer yesterday lost his temper and threatened he could hunt down and kill a National Guardsman if he wanted to.
Costas Hadjistavris told the Nicosia district court that he had not assaulted and sworn at a National Guard serving at a Lymbia army camp in March 2008 but that if pushed could easily find him and shoot him. The particular soldier has since left the camp.
“And then I’ll be done for premeditated murder,” Hadjistavris ranted.
Hadjistavris toned down his comments after a rebuke from the judge and the state prosecutor, who had effectively goaded him into losing his temper, had no further questions.
The 56-year-old had taken the witness stand to defend himself after he was accused of assaulting and verbally abusing a National Guardsman two years ago. Hadjistavris, who said he was an electrician, an animal farmer and “a Jack of all trades”, told the court that the soldier who had made the complaint against him had allowed five dogs to defecate in his field after they had wandered over from the army camp.
“I was on my tractor and he [the complainant] was standing by the side of the road, next to my property, and the dogs were defecating in the field that I’d sweated blood to maintain,” he said.
Hadjistavris said he picked up two rocks and threw them at the animals but denied going anywhere near the National Guardsman, slapping him or swearing at him. He also said he had not thrown the rocks at the soldier.
“If I’d thrown them at him I’d have split his head open. My aim doesn’t miss,” he boasted.
The farmer said he had reported the incident to police and said he had allegedly been advised to douse sponges in butter so that the dogs would eat them and then die when trying to expel them. Another policeman had told him to shoot the dogs or that he would do it for him, he claimed.
The stunned courtroom listened spellbound as the 56-year-old rambled on about how he had a gun, his son had a gun and his sons-in-law had guns.
He also claimed he was being tried for something he didn’t do and that he was effectively being driven to commit murder.
Hadjistavris said the National Guard’s commander could confirm that he had had trouble with the particular army camp for many years and that the dogs had frequently destroyed his property. On one occasion they had killed his chickens, he said.
The 56-year-old added he would teach the army camp a lesson by cutting its electricity and water supply which he had allowed them access to all these years from his own property.
The trial continues on May 27. Hadjistavris was ordered to find his own witnesses to defend his case after his lawyer stepped down.
