CYPRUS: Man jailed for hit-and-run death of British tourist

A 35-year-old man was jailed by a Cyprus court for two-and-a-half years on Thursday for reckless driving in the hit-and-run death of a British tourist in the Cypriot resort of Paphos in 2018.

Dimitris Ilitzidis, a Greek national originally from Georgia, pleaded guilty to the charge of causing death by reckless and dangerous behaviour after a more serious charge of manslaughter was dropped.

Paphos criminal court sentenced him to two-and-a-half years for causing the death of British tourist Robert Birch, 39, injuring a second Briton aged 32 and leaving the scene of an accident.

The court ruled that the driver being drunk at the time of the incident was not a mitigating factor.

Once serving his sentence the father-of-three will lose his driving license for one year, he was also sentenced to one year in prison for injuring the second Briton.

His time in custody will count as part of his 2.5-year prison term.

Birch from Wales, 39, was found dead at the scene on June 24, 2018 after police responded to reports of an incident in the south-western coastal resort of Peyia at around 2:30 am (1130 GMT).

Police said a 32-year-old Briton William Pritchard – walking with Birch – was also hit by the car and needed hospital treatment for serious injuries.

After abandoning the scene, the man’s car was later found by police after being driven into the sea. He was arrested on June 24 last year.

Birch was on holiday with his family when he was fatally hit by a vehicle in the street inflicting multiple injuries.