A 23-year-old man who sat on the bench of the Mixed Jury Court of Thessaloniki, was sentenced to nine years in prison, accused of killing his 46-year-old father with a hunting rifle last May, while he was sleeping, in the Roma settlement of “Agia Sophia”, in Thessaloniki.

According to the case file, there had been – earlier – a fight between father and son, as a result of which the latter shot the 46-year-old almost point-blank in the back of his head, wounding him fatally. From the evidentiary process it emerged that their relations have always been tense, due to the abusive behavior the victim suffered from the perpetrator.

The court found him by a majority (6-1) guilty of manslaughter in a calm state of mind and unanimously of illegal carrying and use of weapons, but recognized two mitigating factors: on the one hand, his post-adolescent age and on the other hand, that the perpetrator was led to his act because of the of the victim’s previous misconduct.

In his apology, the self-confessed parricide apologized for his act, stating that he was remorseful. “It would be better if he lived and killed me,” he said, while referring to his father’s chronically violent behavior, both towards him and his family.

The court rejected his claim that he committed the act in the heat of the moment and decided that the appeal would not have the power to suspend the execution of the sentence, as a result of which the perpetrator returned to prison.