A 50-year-old Russian driver involved in a violent collision which resulted in the death of 27-year-old Panayiotis Christoforou from Ypsonas will stand trial for manslaughter on March 31 next year.
The man, who tests have shown was highly intoxicated and had also taken sleeping pills, appeared before Limassol district court on Friday which ordered he be referred directly to stand trial before the Criminal Court on March 31.
Police are asking the court it order the man to remain in police custody. His lawyer has objected and the court is currently hearing arguments before it issues its ruling.
The Russian was remanded in custody for six days last Saturday. The fatal accident occurred at around 1 am on November 28 near Moutayiaka on the Nicosia-Limassol highway when the car driven by the suspect rammed into the back of Christoforou’s car at great speed. The 27-year-old father of a young child was killed instantly.
Philenews said that the results of blood tests showed 243 mg of alcohol in the Russian’s blood. The legal limit in blood is 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. The tests also detected sleeping pills in the Russian driver’s blood.
Reports said that the Russian had been at a party and was taken home by friends because he was intoxicated. But a little later, he took his second car and caused the collision.
Tests on the victim showed no trace of alcohol or other substances, philenews added.
The 50-year-old had initially told police that he had no recollection of the accident, but after his arrest for manslaughter opted to exercise his right to remain silent revealing nothing concerning the events before the accident or any other relevant information.
He was arrested immediately after the accident but was hospitalized for his injuries. He was arrested again soon after his release from the hospital on Friday for manslaughter.
A post-mortem examination carried out on the victim last week showed horrific injuries from the violent collision – including a severed thoracic aorta, fractures in the neck and spine and multiple ruptures of the lungs.
