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British expat promoter shot dead in Cyprus
| Published: | 6 Nov at 6 PM |
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Tagged: Cyprus
Liverpudlian expatriate promoter Gary Christodoulou was shot dead near a road linking Ayia Napa and Larnaca, with his Mercedes found in a ditch on the side of the highway.
Since 2010, the promoter had been splitting his time between his Liverpool home and his business in Cyprus, and had been on the island since last February. He was found in an acacia grove close by the road, and had been shot three times, twice in the head and once in the chest. His car was spotted just off the road with the engine still running, a bullet lodged in the passenger seat and its headlights still on.
According to local Cypriot police, his grieving family have been told he’d escaped the car after the first shot and was followed to the grove where he was killed. His family told reporters they believe his murder was a case of mistaken identity, as hard-working Gary, a father of one, was well-loved both in the Cyprus expat community and at home for his ‘heart of gold’. His sister is now on the island attempting to bring his body back to Liverpool, and the family has lodged a fundraising page to help pay the costs.
However, police reports suggest the murdered Briton was already known to local police due to previous drugs case investigations, and his flat in Ayia Napa has been sealed off pending further investigation. Various reports speculate a connection between the killing and a gangland assassination at an Ayia Napa eatery in June 2016. Four diners were killed in the incident, including a police offer and his wife who were dining with a known underworld figure. Other reports suggest Gary was working at a place owned by one of the gang members now jailed in connection with the incident.
Since 2010, the promoter had been splitting his time between his Liverpool home and his business in Cyprus, and had been on the island since last February. He was found in an acacia grove close by the road, and had been shot three times, twice in the head and once in the chest. His car was spotted just off the road with the engine still running, a bullet lodged in the passenger seat and its headlights still on.
According to local Cypriot police, his grieving family have been told he’d escaped the car after the first shot and was followed to the grove where he was killed. His family told reporters they believe his murder was a case of mistaken identity, as hard-working Gary, a father of one, was well-loved both in the Cyprus expat community and at home for his ‘heart of gold’. His sister is now on the island attempting to bring his body back to Liverpool, and the family has lodged a fundraising page to help pay the costs.
However, police reports suggest the murdered Briton was already known to local police due to previous drugs case investigations, and his flat in Ayia Napa has been sealed off pending further investigation. Various reports speculate a connection between the killing and a gangland assassination at an Ayia Napa eatery in June 2016. Four diners were killed in the incident, including a police offer and his wife who were dining with a known underworld figure. Other reports suggest Gary was working at a place owned by one of the gang members now jailed in connection with the incident.
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