Father of boys found dead to face trial — he got off work but didn’t return home

Local British BasesdeathFamagustapoliceTop News Father of boys found dead to face trial — he got off work but didn’t return home Investigators Treat Xylofagou Boys' Deaths As Negligence Case Relevant News EU urged to prioritise heart disease prevention policy 2 July 2026 Father of boys found dead to face trial — he got off work but didn’t return home 2 July 2026 Mercuryo recognised with Great Place to Work® certification, highlighting strength of its remote-first fintech culture 2 July 2026 Natasa Christoforou 2 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The 30-year-old Bulgarian father of two boys, aged 8 and 10, found dead in a car on Sunday afternoon, has been committed to trial and charged before Dhekelia Court with two counts of causing death by a reckless and careless act. The children had been left unsupervised after their father left for work in Limassol on Sunday morning, followed shortly after by his 38-year-old partner, who was initially arrested but released unconditionally yesterday. Investigators from the British Sovereign Base Areas’ Criminal Investigation Department (CID) decided to bring only the father before court, as he is the children’s legal guardian. Seeking the father’s remand, the prosecution representative said there was testimony indicating he finished work, went to get alcohol, and did not return home, adding that CCTV evidence suggested the tragedy could have been averted had he gone home. His lawyer, Andriana Klaidi, disputed this position. The next hearing was set for July 16. CCTV footage has shown the boys playing in the yard before continuing their game in the car, where they remained for more than three hours after entering through an open rear door, later found by experts to be faulty despite the vehicle being locked. They are believed to have become trapped after the child safety lock activated, and were found unconscious by their father’s partner after 5:30pm on Sunday. Asphyxiation remains the leading theory as to the cause of death, though the Bases are keeping this open pending test results from Greek forensic pathologist Manolis Sakelliades. The boys had arrived in Cyprus in mid-May with relatives for a holiday with their father. The state will cover the cost of returning their bodies to Bulgaria, a government source said yesterday. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News EU urged to prioritise heart disease prevention policy Mercuryo recognised with Great Place to Work® certification, highlighting strength of its remote-first fintech culture The countdown to Minthis Music Festival 2026 begins Paphos-Limassol motorway to close tonight for crash reconstruction Father charged over deaths of two boys in Xylofagou car The great student swap: Why Cyprus is increasingly drawing foreign students for university Couple arrested after climbing Empire State building to get engaged — “We are just artists” Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.