A YOUNG couple yesterday escaped a prison sentence and was instead fined over €1,000 each after they pleaded guilty to drunk and disorderly charges and assaulting police officers during the line of duty.
The incident was one the pair bitterly regretted and the relief etched on the 26-year-old woman’s face as Nicosia District Judge Yiota Kyriakidou gave out her sentence was clearly visible.
The 24-year-old man and his girlfriend were fined €1,300 and €2,200 respectively, to be paid in €250 monthly instalments starting March 1.
The woman was fined more because she also pleaded guilty to the charge of assault and causing actual bodily harm to the police officers.
The incident took place on October 2008 and was, according to their defence lawyer, something completely out of character for the young postman and beautician.
During mitigation, the court heard that the incident occurred during the early hours after the pair had consumed a lot of alcohol, including beer and zivania. He said the duo had been trying to split up some friends who had started a drunken row and that they had all been very noisy in the process.
“At that moment the police patrol car arrived and attending officers, not knowing who exactly was fighting between themselves, tried to arrest the defendants who, in their effort to stop the fight, were being noisy and causing a disturbance,” the defence lawyer said.
“The policemen’s action was misinterpreted by the defendants, who – as I’ve already mentioned – were under the influence of alcohol, with the result that they committed the offences they’ve admitted to,” he added.
The court also heard the duo had clean records and were from good families with a good social standing.
During their lawyer’s mitigation, the young woman wiped tears from her eyes, clearly embarrassed by the whole affair.
Both defendants had apologised for their behaviour at the time when they were charged in writing, although both said they didn’t remember much because of the alcohol, the lawyer continued.
He said they both felt remorse and regret about what had happened and assured that they would never again appear in court for a similar incident.
Speaking to the Cyprus Mail later the 26-year-old woman said she wished the incident had never happened.
“These things happen. I didn’t want it to happen. I was drunk and I pushed the officer,” she said.
