NICOSIA district judge Yiota Kyriakidou yesterday expressed her concern over the rising number of assault cases irrespective of age.
“It concerns the court that there appears to be no hesitation in raising one’s hand to strike another. It’s unbelievable,” she said, shaking her head.
“The matter of prevention is necessary because it’s not just our youth, but people in their middle age and old age,” she said.
Kyriakidou’s comments were made during a defence lawyer’s mitigation regarding an assault charge concerning a 22-year-old Aglandjia man.
The judge, who often comes across as compassionate, expressed no such emotion when she addressed the defence counsel.
Not wanting to disagree with her assessment the lawyer said: “It appears to be a social phenomenon. This is different from other cases though.”
The lawyer then went on to say that his client, Achilleas Odysseos, had not acted alone in beating a Nicosia man during the early hours of September 5, 2007 outside ‘Quick Stop’ in Engomi.
Again Kyriakidou interjected and pointed out that it was more incriminating when a beating involved two against one, rather than one on one.
“But it was not my client who caused the actual bodily harm,” the lawyer replied.
The lawyer went on to say that Odysseos had been drunk at the time of the incident and that he had run into the complainant at the restaurant and the subsequent assault had taken place.
“I still haven’t understood what happened between the two of them,” said Kyriakidou.
“It was over something very insignificant,” the lawyer replied. “It was because they were drunk and they started arguing and then they started swearing and then next thing they started pushing each other. The complainant did not remain indifferent but also started pushing back. In the end they clashed.”
The attack left the victim with a cut face, bleeding nose and swollen lips which resulted in an overnight stay in hospital.
The lawyer said Odysseos, despite his financial hardship, had offered the complainant compensation for the incident but that the latter had refused to accept.
“The fact that he has admitted his guilt shows his regret,” he added.
Throughout the procedure the 22-year-old kept his head down. Once or twice he glanced at the back of the courtroom where his friend sat. The defence lawyer appealed to Kyriakidou to be lenient in her judgement and not to impose a jail sentence.
“For the first time in his life he is stable professionally and in every other way. He has admitted that he had incidences of juvenile delinquency but all that belongs in the past. It was his young age at the time and he has expressed his willingness to do community service… He just needs to be given a second chance…,” the lawyer said.
“Not a second chance. You mean a last chance,” the judge corrected.
“Yes, a last chance,” the lawyer said.
Kyriakidou said she would examine the evidence and announce her decision today.
