Man jailed for life for murdering woman with knife

A 40-year-old man was jailed for life on Tuesday for the murder of a woman, 56, in Ikos Marathasas, Nicosia, in November last year.

Giorgi Baratashvili from Georgia was arrested on November 12, 2018, hours after Yiannoula Hadjiyianni was found stabbed to death in her car.

The defendant had admitted to killing Hadjiyianni with a knife and stealing the money she had in her vehicle.

On the day of his arrest, €1,505 was found in his possession that he could not justify.

Police had said they found blood on his clothes and in the bathroom of his flat in nearby Kalopanayiotis.

The suspect had undergone a medical examination after his arrest and abrasions were found on his hands.

Police told court that they had also recovered a pocketknife from the women’s front passenger seat, which they believe had been used to stab Hadjiyianni multiple times.

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