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Court clears 9 British soldiers of role in brawl
A court in Cyprus on Friday acquitted nine British soldiers of involvement in a brawl at a resort on the Mediterranean island, saying prosecutors had failed to prove their guilt beyond any reasonable doubt.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:04 August 2, 2008
Paralimni: A court in Cyprus on Friday acquitted nine British soldiers of involvement in a brawl at a resort on the Mediterranean island, saying prosecutors had failed to prove their guilt beyond any reasonable doubt.
The soldiers had been accused of going on a rampage in Ayia Napa in February, causing extensive damage to a pub in the resort and attacking two individuals. One plaintiff who came under attack almost lost his eyesight.
All nine soldiers had faced charges of criminal damage and disturbing the peace, and two among them faced additional charges of causing actual bodily harm while one was facing charges of causing grievous bodily harm.
Those facing assault offences could have had custodial sentences if convicted. But magistrate Elias Georgiou ruled that there were too many inconsistencies in accounts of key witnesses on who had attacked them, and said that the identification process leading to the arrest was flawed. "The burden was on the prosecution to prove involvement beyond reasonable doubt ... and that cannot be proven to the required degree," Georgiou said in his verdict.
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