Mother and son held over fatal stabbing of British man in Peyia

A 42-year-old woman and her 20-year-old son were remanded in custody for eight days on Tuesday over the fatal stabbing of her 51-year-old British partner in Peyia the previous evening, after the son told police he stabbed the man during an altercation at their home. The Paphos district court issued the orders at the request of police, who are investigating the case as conspiracy to commit murder. The pair appeared without a lawyer and did not oppose the remand. The Briton was found injured in a car at about 6.15pm on Monday evening and taken to Paphos general hospital, where he died at about 7.45pm. An autopsy at Nicosia general hospital on Tuesday morning concluded he died of haemorrhagic shock from massive internal bleeding caused by an aortic injury from a knife. Samples were taken for toxicological and other tests. Police investigator Lieutenant Plastiras Militis told the court the son said he heard shouting from the kitchen, where the victim was arguing with his mother as he believed she was being unfaithful. The son said he saw the man threaten her with a knife and at some point whi9le trying to intervene in their fight, stabbed him in the ribs. The woman told police the victim used cocaine, became aggressive, was often jealous and frequently beat her. She said he had assaulted her during another fight two days earlier. Both suspects said the man brandished a knife on Monday afternoon. Police said the pair had avoided implicating anyone else, as officers who reached the house found bloodstains and said the floor had clearly just been mopped. The woman is alleged to have tried to clean the stains and told investigators the man was bleeding due to cocaine use. She is also said to have told them “It wasn’t me who injured him, but I can’t tell you”. Paphos police spokesman Michalis Nicholaou said the son had confessed that he and his mother dragged the victim into a car to take him to hospital but control of the vehicle was lost and it came to a halt off the road about 1km from the house. An ambulance was called to notify emergency services about the victim’s left in the car, he said. Police are now looking for the son’s Scottish girlfriend, named in court as Stefani. Investigators believe she drove the car and may have panicked and abandoned it. They are trying to establish which of the two women called the ambulance. The son has agreed to take officers to Kakoskali in Akamas, where he says he disposed of the knife. Five statements have been taken so far, with about 50 more expected from the victim’s family, workplace and friends. Police told the court that releasing the suspects at this stage could affect the investigation, as the case is at an early stage and another person is still being sought.