Suspect in dog mauling death back in court next month

 

The 27-year-old owner of the Rottweilers that are thought to have mauled to death a Bulgarian woman in February, will be entering a plea on June 29.

The man, who faces charges of manslaughter and causing death through negligence, appeared in Paphos criminal court again on Thursday.

The prosecution informed the court that it was amending the charge sheet, dropping the charge of owning dogs without a permit.

The suspect, who had been detained following his arrest, was released after posting a €100,000 bond. He was ordered to hand over his travel documents, his name was placed on a stop list, and he must report to Paphos police daily.

He was also ordered to muzzle his Rottweilers and keep them on a leash.

The state prosecution told the court it has yet to receive a report from the Institute of Genetics regarding blood samples from a dog cage near the site where the Bulgarian woman was found.

Police were also waiting for test results which will show – or not – whether the injuries on the victim’s body are consistent with Rottweiler bite marks.

The victim, Petruna Nikolova, was found close to death in a field in Yeroskipou, Paphos, on February 22 and died on the way to hospital.

Police initially arrested two people – the 27-year-old and his father, 54. They are the owners of nearby premises where a number of dogs, including at least five Rottweilers, were being kept.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.