“I was stopped at traffic lights at universities. I started with green. At Kamara’s height, the girl came out abruptly. I was running at 55 km. I turned the steering wheel to avoid her but the car skidded. I did not see her”. This is what he said a little while ago in front of the court the driver of the car in the trial for the murderous abduction of Emmanuela a year before in Thessaloniki.

“We were going home to Sykies that night. I would take it in the morning to check. I had the car since November 17, I was testing it to get it,” testified the defendant.

“It was a good car, you could hear the exhaust. I had no papers in Greece, residence permit and driver’s license. I had been accused of drugs in the past” he added and continued “For the car we were shopping in those days. On the road, only its exhaust noise freaked me out.”

Describing frame by frame the moments that unfolded after he realized that he had dragged the unfortunate Emmanuela, he noted: “I hit her with the right side of the car. Then I left her. I was scared. I lost them. I’m gone. And if I wanted to put in reverse I couldn’t because the back of the vehicle had fallen on two others. I understood that the car was tampered with but I had not done anything”

“I threw the car plates at Sheikh Su. I was wondering what happened to the girl. I waited to see what would happen the next day. A passer-by took us to Oreokastro. I wanted to go and surrender. I took the lawyer to ask for help” he also testified in response to a question from the court.

“I apologize to the family,” he said, concluding his apology.