Murder trial for Konia killing to begin next year

The first hearing in the trial of a 58-year-old man accused of murdering Alexandros Antoniou in the village of Konia in November 2025 will be held on January 27 next year, the Paphos criminal court said on Tuesday. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to the charge of premeditated murder, but pleaded guilty to carrying a deadly weapon. His attorneys don’t deny that the 58-year-old took Antoniou’s life, but will be arguing this is a case of manslaughter rather than premeditated murder. Pending the start of the trial proper, the defendant is being held at the central prisons. In court on Tuesday, the state prosecutor requested a postponement so that the two sides can agree on the basic facts of the case – not including the accusation that the killing was premeditated. The defence did not object, and the judge granted a postponement until January 27, 2027. The court heard that 98 witnesses are expected to take the stand. However, the number could change. Prosecutors have meanwhile submitted to the court the evidence they will be citing during the trial. The evidentiary items include video footage in relation to the fatal stabbing, as well as reports compiled by experts. The evidence to be presented by prosecutors includes genetic material taken from the backrest of the seat of the car where the victim was seated at the time of the incident. According to an analysis done by the Institute of Genetics, the DNA matches that of the defendant. ‘Piercing and cutting instrument’ In addition, the coroner’s investigation showed that Antoniou’s death was caused by a blow using a “piercing and cutting instrument”. The blow was made to the area of the carotid artery. The case stems from the fatal stabbing of Antoniou outside a kiosk in the Paphos district village of Konia last November. According to evidence previously presented before the court, CCTV footage shows Antoniou parked outside the kiosk shortly before 6.20pm while speaking on the phone. A man is then seen approaching the driver’s side of the vehicle, opening the door and confronting him. Police have told the court that the suspect struck Antoniou while he remained seated inside the vehicle before delivering a second blow to the neck. Investigators have alleged that the suspect was motivated by concerns involving his daughter, who had earlier reported damage to her vehicle’s tyres allegedly caused by Antoniou, understood to be her former partner, who reportedly harassed her for an extended period of time. Following the attack on November 19, Antoniou entered the kiosk before collapsing. He was initially taken to the Paphos general hospital and later transferred to a private hospital, where he died in the early hours of November 22 last year.