Man Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison for Murder on British Bases in Cyprus

A man has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for a high-profile murder that took place on the British Sovereign Base Area in Cyprus.

46-year-old Costas Soteriou was convicted of killing Charalambos Constantinides and received his sentence following a court ruling.

The murder occurred on June 25, 2024, in the village of Ormideia. Soteriou shot the victim in the head with a hunting rifle following an argument over money. After the incident, he voluntarily turned himself in to the Dhekelia police.

In January of this year, Soteriou was found guilty of premeditated murder by a panel of three senior judges from the UK who presided over the jury trial. Following today’s court session, he will serve his sentence either in the prison on the British military base in Dhekelia or in the United Kingdom.

Since he has been in custody since June 2024, he will become eligible to apply for parole after serving 27 years and 37 days.

It remains unclear where exactly Soteriou will serve his sentence, as he has not agreed to be held in the Central Prison of Cyprus. For now, he will remain in custody within the prison facilities on the bases, though the court noted that he may be transferred to a prison in the UK at a later stage.

Speaking after the sentencing, Chief Inspector of the British Bases Police Phanos Christodoulou stated that the conviction “was the result of excellent cooperation between the Bases Police and the Bases Attorney General’s Office.”