Strovolos double murder trial continues

The trial in the Strovolos double murder continues on Wednesday, with prosecution and defence trying to agree on a list of witnesses and asking for a bigger courtroom.

During a hearing on Monday, in what was expected to be the start of the criminal trial in the Strovolos double murder, the judge gave more time for the prosecution and defence to come up with a finalised list of witnesses, with 70 out of at least 100 being mutually acceptable by both parties.

Loizos Tzionis, the 33-year-old main suspect who recently changed his plea to not guilty, is facing murder and burglary charges along with two other co-defendants, his 23-year-old half brother Lefteris Solomou and 22-year-old Marios Hadjixenofondos, who pleaded not guilty from the beginning.

The suspect’s 21-year-old girlfriend, Sara Siams, is also a defendant in the case while her lawyer managed to get the murder charges thrown out. Reports said a number of texts were exchanged prior to Monday’s hearing, suggesting a change in the charges against her.

The four suspects were arrested following the murder of a married couple in Strovolos, 60-year-old Yiorgos Hadjigeorgiou and his 59-year-old wife Dina Sergiou, who were found savagely stabbed to death in the bedroom of their own home on April 18.

The prosecution team is basing the case on circumstantial evidence, including DNA samples and other items linked to the main suspect but not directly to the murder.

Tzionis previously maintained he was being framed while results of a second autopsy, ordered by the attorney general, remained sealed. Media speculation initially raised questions regarding the exact times of death which had not been ascertained reliably during the first autopsy.

The trial is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, November 21, where it is expected to take place in a different courtroom due to previous size limitations. The establishment of facts and a common witness list will be the primary focus in the next hearing.