Man gets five years for manslaughter in botched drug deal

A drug buyer from Larnaca, who ran over with his car and killed a man in Limassol last year, was sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter, with details heard in court suggesting he was scammed and tried to drive away in anger when the death took place.

Local media said the 33-year-old was convicted on manslaughter charges in connection with the unlawful killing of 57-year-old Christakis Shialos, who accompanied his son to a convenience store in Moni to sell drugs to the defendant.

But after the transaction the defendant sat in his car and realized he had paid €180 for a small bag of Himalayan salt instead of crystal meth, according to details heard in court.

He then got out of the vehicle and demanded his money back, with an altercation taking place when Shialos’ son refused at first to return the money, with the defendant finally getting most of it back.

Father and son then tried to stop the defendant from leaving, with the 57-year-old falling to the ground during an altercation and his son grabbing a bar stool and throwing it at the 33-year-old, who got back in his vehicle and drove away, running over and killing Shialos in the process.

While initially denying he was at the scene, the defendant later told investigators he had flown into a rage when he noticed the salt, admitting he struck Shialos but had no intention of killing the man.

The court also heard that the incident took place in the dark, with a panel of judges sentencing the defendant to five years saying he pushed on the gas pedal without making sure his path was clear.

“The victim’s death was caused not by an unlawful act but by unlawful omission on the part of the defendant, which constitutes culpable negligence,” the judges said.