THREE teenage British tourists will face manslaughter charges when they go on trial early next year for allegedly killing a young British soldier during a nightclub brawl in Ayia Napa.
Mohamed Abdulkadir Osman, 19, and two 17-year-old suspects who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in court yesterday but did not have to answer any charges.
The trio from London will be asked to enter a plea when the case goes to trial at Larnaca criminal court on January 24.
Famagusta district court will decide today whether the Britons will remain in custody or be freed on bail until their trial.
Osman’s lawyer said his client was a diabetic who needed special treatment, while those representing his co-accused insisted they were too young to be held behind bars in a foreign country.
Private David Lee Collins, 18, from Manchester, was stabbed to death in a confrontation with a group of British tourists in the early hours of November 4.
He was stationed at Dhekelia garrison with the 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, part of British army reserve forces for Afghanistan.
The suspects were privately informed of the charges by their lawyers yesterday. Senior police sources said these include manslaughter, possession of knives and use of a class B drug.
Manslaughter carries a maximum life sentence in Cyprus.
A police officer told court last week that Osman, who is of Somali origin, had admitted stabbing Collins. But the tourist said he had acted in self-defence when he and his friends were allegedly attacked by a group of off-duty soldiers.
Osman claimed he waved a knife solely to intimidate them. But one had “jumped on to the blade”. He told police he did not mean to hurt the soldier and was sorry for what had happened.
The other two suspects – who are of Pakistani origin - put themselves at the scene of the crime but insist they played no part in the violence.
An autopsy concluded Collins died from a “ruptured heart caused by a sharp instrument”.
The confrontation is believed to have been triggered over taunting related to rivalry between London and Manchester.
Police said a switchblade was recovered at the scene of the crime and 11 similar knives were found in the trio’s hotel room along with a sizeable quantity of cannabis and a knuckleduster.
Osman admitted buying the weapons at a shop in Ayia Napa but said they were to take home as gifts for friends, police said.
The fatal confrontation happened near Ayia Napa’s central square – an area long out of bounds to all British forces personnel between 5pm and 10am because of previous incidents.
Following the “tragic death of Fusilier Collins” the area has been put temporarily out of bounds “around the clock until further notice”, a British forces spokeswoman said.
The three suspects, smartly-dressed and looking nervous, arrived and left Famagusta district court in handcuffs. They listened intently as an interpreter translated the proceedings from Greek into English.
Osman’s left hand was heavily bandaged and there was a scab over his right eye.
More than half the tiny court room was taken up by a dozen distraught-looking family members of the accused.
two of the three suspects being led to court earlier this month