Newsroom
A Paphos criminal court on Tuesday sentenced 43-year-old convict Doros Theofanous, nicknamed “the Hairdresser”, to three years in prison for escaping lawful custody in what the court described as a "well-planned" act.
The court also imposed a one-year prison sentence on a 28-year-old accomplice for disobeying lawful orders and aiding and abetting after the crime. Both men had pleaded guilty.
Theofanous, serving a life sentence for murder and multiple firearms offenses, was apprehended following a coordinated police operation. He did not surrender voluntarily, a fact the court considered aggravating. The judge emphasized the escape was not spontaneous but carefully orchestrated with outside help.
Defense attorneys argued for leniency, citing new evidence in Theofanous' original case and personal rehabilitation efforts. Still, the court ruled imprisonment was “unavoidable,” citing both men’s repeated run-ins with the law and lack of respect for legal authority.
While the maximum possible penalties were five years for Theofanous and three years for the accomplice, the court noted that the sentences handed down, three years and one year, respectively, would run consecutively to their existing sentences. Time already served since October 4, 2024, will be counted toward the new terms.
The court acknowledged the guilty pleas saved judicial resources but made clear that prior convictions, though not direct aggravating factors, influenced the degree of leniency shown.
