The 20-year-old man who confessed to killing a 27-year-old in Agios Dimitrios is expected to appear before the Naval Court of Piraeus Tuesday 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 10.
Claims of remorse and self-defense
According to reports, the suspect is expected to repeat his earlier statements expressing remorse. He is set to argue that the fatal stabbing occurred during a fight and that he did not realize he had struck the victim in the heart.
He will reportedly claim that he knew he had injured the 27-year-old but did not understand the severity of the wound or that it had resulted in death. The suspect is also expected to say he carried the knife for self-defense and had no intention of taking a life.
Actions after the crime
The 20-year-old is believed to admit that he changed clothes, washed the knife, and hid it following the attack, attributing those actions to fear and panic.
He is also expected to state 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.
They appeared in court earlier, where they encountered the victim’s father—a senior Greek police officer—who is supporting the prosecution. Described as devastated, he reportedly avoided looking at his son’s former girlfriend, who had been in a relationship with the victim for three years and is considered central to the case. She was seen crying throughout the proceedings.
The trial for the three defendants has now been adjourned to May 20.
Background and new evidence
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.
