**Father Accused of Causing Deaths of Two Children Seeks Permission to Attend Funeral in Bulgaria**
The father of two young boys who tragically died after being left in a vehicle in Xylofagou is seeking permission from the Sovereign Base Areas court to travel to Bulgaria for their funeral. The court is scheduled to consider this request later this month.
During a hearing held on Thursday, the defendant's lawyer, Michael Theodoulou, informed the court that the defense plans to apply for bail to allow his client to attend the funeral. However, he did not specify whether this application would be submitted immediately or in the following week. A separate court session has been arranged for July 30 to review the travel request.
Senior Judge Cummings KC presided over the hearing via video conference and will continue to oversee the proceedings. The judge has set September 22 as the date for the defendant to formally enter his plea regarding the charges against him. By this date, the prosecution is expected to have provided all relevant evidence to the defense. The defendant, Marinos Marinov, a 30-year-old Bulgarian national, will be required to plead either guilty or not guilty. If he pleads not guilty, a trial is anticipated to begin on November 30, although the judge indicated that the timeline could be expedited if both parties agree.
The case revolves around the deaths of Marinov's sons, aged eight and ten, who were discovered unresponsive in a parked vehicle in June. Following the incident, Marinov was remanded in custody. His wife, the boys' stepmother, was initially detained alongside him but has since been released.
In a previous court hearing, Marinov's bail application was denied. The court ruled that the proposed sureties were insufficient to mitigate the risk of the defendant potentially absconding before the trial.
As the case progresses, the upcoming plea hearing in September will mark a significant step in the legal proceedings against Marinov. The court's decisions in the coming weeks will determine the course of the case and the father's ability to attend his children's funeral.