Defendant pleads guilty to car theft linked to murder case

On September 16, 2026, the Permanent Criminal Court of Limassol reviewed new evidence regarding the theft of a Mitsubishi Colt, a vehicle directly linked to the investigation of the murder of Stavros Demosthenous. The 30-year-old defendant, Charalambos Savva, pleaded guilty to arranging the theft of the car, which belonged to a local priest.

According to court proceedings led by prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou, the theft occurred on October 5, 2025, after the defendant learned the priest habitually left his keys inside the parked vehicle. Savva coordinated with an accomplice who stole the car from outside a church, valued at approximately €4,000. Following the theft, Savva ordered the accomplice to drive to Nicosia, where he paid him €300 for the service. The murder of Stavros Demosthenous, for which Savva is the first defendant, took place on October 17, 2025, near the victim's home in Limassol.

Notably, the individual who actually committed the theft is expected to testify as a witness in the ongoing murder trial. The court also took into consideration another pending criminal case against the defendant during these proceedings.