Limassol Police are now investigating a double murder case after the second victim of a stabbing incident outside a Ypsonas bar succumbed to his injuries.
The two Greek Cypriot suspects now face charges of premeditated murder and were re-remanded in police custody.
According to a police statement, 52-year-old Michalis Michael died in the hospital around midnight after doctors’ efforts to save his life through multiple surgeries failed.
Michael was the second victim of an attack following a confrontation outside a bar in the Limassol village early Thursday. He was stabbed in the face and neck.
The first victim was a 44-year-old father of two, Marios Onisiforou, who was fatally stabbed in the neck and succumbed to his wounds just minutes after arriving at Limassol General.
As reported, the two men killed were trying to defend a friend, 43, who managed to escape with a minor injury to his hand.
The head of the Limassol Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Lefteris Kyriakou, said two men aged 49 and 54 had been arrested and remanded in custody for eight days.
He said initial investigations revealed the 49-year-old arrested had personal differences with a friend of the two victims who had been lightly injured in the incident.
Police told the court, during the remanded hearing, the 49-year-old had a previous run-in with the 43-year-old friend of the victims two weeks before the murders.
Witnesses told police the suspect had threatened the 43-year-old and told him: “I will slaughter you”.
Limassol CID is continuing investigations, reviewing CCTV footage from the bar.
Police have yet to recover the murder weapon.
The suspects admitted being at the scene but claimed they were acting in self-defence after being attacked by a group of people.
The stabbing incident was outside a bar where the victims had gone to celebrate the birthday of their 43-year-old friend.
Reportedly, the suspects were also at the same bar, stepping out at some point in the evening.
Moments later, according to an account given by the 43-year-old, someone approached him and asked him to step outside.
He stepped outside with his friends when the suspects attacked them.
Thursday’s incident was the second stabbing in three days in Ypsonas; two days earlier, police launched a search for a 38-year-old Indian national concerning the attempted murder of his two male compatriots.
