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Loizos Tzionis, the main defendant in the Strovolos double murder case, pleaded guilty to all charges on Wednesday, during drama in the courtroom as his co-defendant brother was being sentenced to prison on burglary charges.
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Tzionis addressed the court on Wednesday, apologizing by name to the victims’ sister and son as well as his co-defendants, moments after pleading guilty to all charges in the case.
“I apologize to Sara, Lefteris, and Marios. They did not deserve to be here,” Tzionis said, adding that he didn’t mean to threaten them and force them to do something that was wrong.
“Cocaine turned me into this,” he said, while also apologizing to his grandparents.
“I hope to become a better human being now that I will be in prison,” he said.
Drama in the courtroom
Earlier, Tzionis admitted all charges in the double murder moments after his half-brother, Lefteris Solomou, burst into tears upon hearing his six year prison sentence on burglary charges in the same case.
Tzionis' lawyer, Andreas Anastasiou, withdrew from the case reportedly not knowing that his client would surprise him and everyone in the courtroom by admitting the charges.
All convictions and sentencing so far in the case have been based on admissions, while forensic experts were still on schedule to testify on DNA evidence. Tzionis had maintained from the beginning that he was framed.
He initially admitted all charges except burglary -saying there was no burgary because the house was open- and then changed his plea admitting two pf the charges but not premeditated murder.
With an admission to premeditated double murder, Tzionis is facing life in prison.
The court will pass sentence at 1pm.
