Father of confessed killer arrested in Larnaca

The father of the confessed killer in the Larnaca murder of Grandpa Kokos has been arrested in connection with a knife attack near Pyla.

Oroklini police arrested a 47-year-old man on Wednesday in connection with a knife assault against a 72-year-old male in Larnaca, along the Larnaca-Dhekelia road. The suspect is accused of showing up with a kitchen knife at the apartment complex of the senior citizen around 5:20pm and bursting in as soon as the victim answered the door.

The older man, who was injured in the head and chest, managed to take the knife away from his attacker and threw it on the floor, with the suspect quickly running away.

It later turned out that the knife-wielding suspect was the father of a 21-year-old man in custody, who reportedly confessed to killing 76-year-old Yiorgos “Kokos” Mavrommatis last month.

Grandpa Kokos, a beloved senior citizen in his local community, was attacked and brutally killed on January 27. Initial reports suggested he had died in an accidental house fire but an autopsy later revealed he had had sustained multiple injuries.

Local media said the suspect was confronted with mounting evidence, including camera footage and witness accounts, and he reportedly confessed to killing Grandpa Kokos during an attempted burglary. The victim was said to have put up a resistance and the suspect ended up striking him and fatally wounding him.

The father of the suspect was remanded in custody on Wednesday for six days, while his son was scheduled to appear in court the following day. The confessed killer will go straight to criminal trial, set to begin April 8, where he faces life imprisonment for his crime.

It was not immediately clear whether or how the two cases were connected.