Man's 'poor upbringing' falls flat in court

A convicted burglar in Limassol, who filed an appeal over the length of his sentence, failed to convince the court after arguing he was the product of poor upbringing that led him to criminal conduct.

According to Philenews, a 47-year-old local man was sentenced to four years on multiple burglary charges, while his lawyer argued during an appeal that the lower court failed to take into account a number of mitigating circumstances in handing down the sentence.

A Limassol district judge previously found the man guilty on burglary charges, following the defendant’s own admission to ten counts of home burglary, theft and burglary with intent to commit a felony. The offenses were committed in Limassol between June 2015 and March 2018.

The attorney of the plaintiff during the appeal process argued that his client was the product of poor upbringing, saying the lower court judge failed to weigh properly all the facts in the case.

During the appeal, the lawyer said the convicted felon had admitted his crimes and showed remorse during his trial, adding that he was the father of five young children and faced a number of health issues.

He also argued that his client was the product of poor upbringing, citing poor parenting on the part of his parents and his brother all of whom coaxed him into delinquent behaviour from a young age.

The lawyer also said his client was illiterate and that his crimes did not involve the use of violence. He also said his client had a clean criminal record prior to the offences.

The appeals court rejected the arguments, confirming the four-year sentence.