GUNFIRE AND stabbings disrupted Sunday’s early hours in Paphos, when a Briton and an English Cypriot fell victim to separate murder attempts. The crimes are thought by police to be related, but they have not specified how.
Police have arrested a 34-year-old Scottish man thought to be involved in both incidents, a court yesterday issued an eight-day remand for the man.
The first incident involved a shooting outside an English Cypriot’s home, where the owner’s dog was killed in a spray of bullets. The other resulted in a 21-year old English man being seriously injured in a stabbing in downtown Paphos.
The Scottish man, being held in police custody, is said to have admitted to the stabbing, but has not specified his motives.
A police spokesman could not confirm the details of the two incidents, but said that several other people were also thought to be involved.
The spokesman also confirmed that the arrested Scottish man was likely involved in both.
At 4am, the English Cypriot businessman found himself avoiding bullets as gunfire erupted outside of his Paphos home on Georgiou Drosini road.
The man, who works in the nightclub business, was in his living room when the shots were fired.
The 7.62 Czech automatic weapon damaged the entryway of his home and killed one of his dogs, but no human injuries were reported.
Police speculated that up to six gunmen may have been involved, including the Scottish man, and that the gunfire was meant as a warning to the English Cypriot.
Meanwhile, the 21-year old English man was wounded when the Scottish man attacked him with a large kitchen knife during a fight in a Paphos apartment. The two men – reportedly co-tenants – had been fighting over personal matters.
Assistant Paphos Police Director Demetris Tsokkas reportedly speculated that the stabbing was the result of a disagreement concerning a romantic relationship between the two. It is not yet known how the stabbing is related to the shooting.
“The matter is still under investigation,” said a Paphos police spokesman, adding that the authorities could not yet confirm what caused the two incidents and how they were linked.
The victim suffered serious wounds to his chest. He is being held in Intensive Care at a Paphos hospital, having been rushed to surgery upon his arrival.
Police could confirm that his life was “no longer in danger”.
Police, who said that the investigation was still under way, confirmed that the Scottish man arrested was likely involved in both incidents.
A spokesman also stated that they were currently investigating several other suspects, whose identities they could not confirm.
