Algerian fugitive from Thessaloniki police van sentenced to 2.5 years
A 21-year-old Algerian who escaped from a police van near the Thessaloniki Law Courts was arrested four days later in Kilkis and sentenced to 2.5 years' imprisonment.
Escape from police van in Thessaloniki — arrest in Kilkis and sentencing
A 21-year-old Algerian who opened a police van door and vanished whilst officers were transporting him to custody from the Thessaloniki Law Courts was located and arrested on Monday afternoon in an area of Kilkis, four days after his escape. The incident is reported by Dikastiko.gr.
The arrest was carried out following an operation by officers from the specialised units OPKE and DI.AS. Along with the fugitive, a 22-year-old Greek man was also arrested, who is said to have provided him with shelter during the preceding 24 hours.
Charges and trial
The 21-year-old was already facing charges of theft, violence against officials, disobedience, and dangerous driving before his escape. The two defendants were immediately referred to the Instant Three-Member Misdemeanour Court of Thessaloniki, where they were found guilty of the charges attributed to them.
The court sentenced the Algerian to 2.5 years' imprisonment for escape of a detainee and violence against officials — as he is said to have resisted during his arrest in Kilkis. The sentence was neither suspended nor commuted, with the result that he was taken directly to prison.
The 22-year-old Greek man was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for harbouring a criminal. His sentence was commuted to a fine, payable at the rate of 10 euros per day.
What the defendants said
In his defence, the 21-year-old admitted that he himself opened the police van door and fled. He stated that he was initially accommodated by an acquaintance in Menemen, and subsequently, through a mutual acquaintance, sought work and turned to his 22-year-old co-defendant.
The 22-year-old denied the charge of harbouring a criminal. He stated that he did not know the man, nor his criminal history, and that he agreed to offer him work solely at the behest of their mutual acquaintance. "We needed workers at the business, he worked in the morning and stayed at the house in the evening," he added.
Source: APA-MPE / Dikastiko.gr
Source: Dikastiko.gr