A 28-year-old distributor was sentenced to 5 years in prison, who sat on the bench of the Mixed Jury Court of Edessa accused of the death of a 50-year-old pedestrian, whom he punched during an argument, when he remarked to him because he was riding his motorcycle on the pedestrian street of Agia Sophia, in the center of Thessaloniki.

The Court found him guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent, recognizing two mitigating factors – on the one hand, his previous cohabitation and on the other hand, that he was prompted by the victim’s inappropriate behavior. The 28-year-old was returned to prison, where he was temporarily held after his arrest, as judges ruled that the appeal should not have had a suspensive effect on the execution of the sentence.

Apologizing for the incident – which took place in August 2023 – the 28-year-old said the victim was in a rage, swearing at him and claimed he only punched the 50-year-old once in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. He also emphasized that he himself called EKAV trying to provide first aid.

As it emerged from the forensic findings, the death of the 50-year-old, father of a minor child, resulted from brain injuries from the beating and the fall.