Court extends remand for murder suspect

A LARNACA Court has remanded a man accused of shooting a man after an armed robbery for a further eight days.

The suspect, Zanettos Tsapatsaris, 27 from Nicosia, has reportedly made a written confession to police and is set to be charged next week at the Larnaca Criminal Court.

The victim, Iacovos Kyriacou, was in the bank in Larnaca when it was held up by a masked armed robber.

When the culprit fled on a moped with £7,000, Kyriacou jumped into his car and chased him through the busy streets of downtown Larnaca.

The chase ended at a supermarket car park, where Kyriacou managed to knock the suspect over with his car. As Kyriacou got out of the vehicle, the robber shot him in the stomach.
Kyriacou succumbed to his injuries in hospital later that afternoon from massive blood loss.

The victim, who has been hailed as a hero by police, left behind a wife and two young children.

Yesterday, Tsapatsaris appeared in court emotionless showing an interest in the witness testimony of Superintendent Prodromos Prodromou who requested a further eight days from District Judge Lefteris Pantelis.

Prodromou told the court that efforts were currently under way to find the rightful owner of the stolen gun that was used to kill Kyriacou as well as the stolen moped that was being driven by the killer.

He also said that more witness statements need to be taken and that so far 60 statements had been taken by police.

“Camera footage from the bank is still being looked into, while the suspect needs to be examined by psychologists and State Pathologist Eleni Antoniou”, he added.

Choosing to defend himself, Tsapatsaris told the judge after Prodromou finished his testimony that he did not wish to question him and that he did not object to the police request for an extension.