The 20-year-old man who confessed to killing a 27-year-old in Agios Dimitrios was remanded in custody after appearing before the Naval Court of Piraeus Tuesday morning to deliver his testimony.
The suspect will face a military investigating magistrate, while the trial of three additional defendants—charged with harboring a criminal—has been postponed to May 20.
Claims of remorse and self-defense
According to reports, expressed remorse over the incident and apologized tot he victm’s family. He argued that the fatal stabbing occurred during a fight and that he did not realize he had struck the victim in the heart.
“I apologize to the family. I feel devastated. We met in person for the first time. We had spoken in the past over the phone. We met in a public place at a time when there were people around. I had no intention of killing him, and I had the knife for self-defense. It was a meeting to talk about my girlfriend. We argued, I got scared and I don’t understand how I pulled out the knife. I didn’t realize I had killed him. I thought I had only injured him.”
Actions after the crime
The 20-year-old admitted that he changed clothes, washed the knife, and hid it following the attack, attributing those actions to fear and panic.
He also stated that he learned of the victim’s death later that same evening, while he was with three other individuals. According to the case file, a friend called him and informed him of what had happened at Asyrmatos Park.
Three co-defendants face separate charges
The three individuals accused of assisting the suspect include his 20-year-old, now former, girlfriend, a male friend, and another 20-year-old woman. All are reported to have been with him after the murder.
The trial for the three defendants has now been adjourned to May 20.
Additional testimony suggests the suspect had previously carried a knife and had been arrested for similar incidents. His former partner also stated that he had boasted about possessing a traditional Cretan knife.
Meanwhile, newly released video footage shows the suspect fleeing the scene shortly after the stabbing, driving away at high speed in a black rental car.
