A total sentence of 5 years and 3 months, with recognition of two mitigating factors, was imposed by the Thessaloniki Mixed Jury on the two young people accused of the death of PAOK fan, Nasos Konstantinos, aged 24, in 2017, the victim of a blind woman fan violence. With the same verdict, the judges decided to serve the sentence in prison.
Under these circumstances, the first person who appeared at the trial was imprisoned, while the second person who was absent and represented by a lawyer is now considered a fugitive and if arrested will also be sent to prison.
“The witness is trustworthy”
Seven years after the fatal incident with a fan, the Court of Appeal unanimously ruled that the two defendants (now aged 26 and 27) committed the acts for which they had been convicted at first instance – fatal exposure and dangerous bodily harm.
When announcing the decision of the judges, incumbents and jurors, the president of the Mixed Court of Appeal Jury relied on the testimony of an eyewitness to the episode and a friend of Nasos who identified the two defendants during the preliminary investigation. “Their testimony was credible and their identifications were ultimately correct,” he said, stressing that the perpetrators surrounded Nasos and his group.
Previously, the district attorney had called for his conviction, noting among other things that the victims “were led to flee from the safe position of the sidewalk to the unsafe position of the road (…) Where would people go? Sit down and eat firewood? The most “reasonable” thing they thought of was to move towards the road surface”.
The convicts themselves, through their lawyers, denied their involvement in the incident, stating that they were in other locations at the time in question.
The timeline of the case
It was April 27, 2017, when the 24-year-old and his three friends were returning from Toumba Stadium, where they watched PAOK play against Panathinaikos in the Greek Cup semi-finals. At the height of the AUTH Faculty of Dental Medicine, the group of young Cypriots were attacked by hooded men who, according to the victims, were holding iron bars, iron fists and sticks. The two caught up and escaped, but not Nasos and his friend (eyewitness) who moved towards the road.
In an attempt to escape, the 24-year-old tried to cross Agios Dimitriou Street vertically, but was dragged by a passing vehicle (the driver was acquitted). He was treated for serious head injuries and on 4 May succumbed to his injuries, losing the battle for his life. His friend who testified at the Court of Appeal was hit in the head with his bare hands, but his life was not in danger.
At first instance, the two defendants were sentenced to 9 years and 8 months in prison, but were released on parole pending appeal.