Appeals court upholds prison sentence for fatal reckless driving case

The Cyprus Appeals Court has unanimously rejected an appeal filed by an individual identified as G.T. against a 24-month prison sentence. The Limassol District Court had previously sentenced the driver for causing death through reckless or negligent conduct, violating Article 210 of the Criminal Code. In addition to the prison term, the driver received a three-month driving license suspension following his release. The appellant contested the ruling on grounds of factual error regarding his vehicle's speed and argued that the sentence was excessively severe. While the defense claimed the speed was around 80 km/h, the Appeals Court noted that the driver had previously acknowledged speeds near 90 km/h in a 65 km/h zone. Judges M. Abiza, S. Christodoulidou-Messiou, and I. Stylianidou concluded that the minor discrepancy between the 90 km/h admitted and the 98 km/h noted by the lower court did not warrant intervention. The court maintained that the lower court properly weighed the severity of the offense and the necessity of deterrence against relevant mitigating factors.