Murder suspect hospitalised in Athalassa

The 50-year-old man who stands accused of shooting and killing his brother-in-law in the Paphos district village of Peyia was hospitalised at the Athalassa psychiatric hospital after undergoing a psychiatric examination, police said on Saturday.

The man was remanded in custody for eight days on Thursday, with police expected to take more statements before the remand expires. The police also said the man has confessed to the murder.

The man’s victim was 43-year-old Stylianos Stylianou. The suspect and Stylianou were reportedly at a social gathering at a residential property in Peyia when an argument broke out.

The property in question belongs to the suspect, who, according to the police, resides there with his wife and their young children. The victim’s parents, who are the suspect’s parents-in-law, live in a separate unit at the back of the property.

It was heard in court on Thursday that the argument had broken out due to “differing opinions among family members on personal matters”.

The suspect reportedly told his relatives to leave his home. In the process, he allegedly pushed his mother-in-law, the victim’s mother, causing her to fall to the ground.

It is believed that this moment was the catalyst that escalated the verbal dispute into a physical altercation, which ultimately led to the murder. The suspect reportedly shot Stylianou with a shotgun, causing fatal injuries.

He then left the scene and later headed to the Paphos general hospital, where he reported abrasions on his legs and several bruises, before being arrested in connection with the murder.