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The murder case of Greek actor Nikos Sergianopoulos is turning into a true thriller. Right now it is being reviewed in the second instance and the Court of Appeal offers a life in prison for the killer.

Two weeks ago the Athens court issued a verdict of 20 years and 10 months in prison for Georgian David Mourtikneli, who killed the Greek actor by stabbing him numerous times with a knife. The Court of Appeal had already drawn up a detailed proposal that the case should be reviewed and the Georgian should be sentenced to life in prison without extenuating circumstances.

The lawyers of the 31 year old Georgian reacted sharply to the proposal of the Court of Appeal deputy prosecutor and said that cases are not solved by prosecutors but by regular judges and jury. The defense said that it will push to second instance for another mitigating circumstance associated with mental state of Mourtikneli at the time of the murder.

Deputy prosecutor of the Athens Court of Appeal Argyro Houdetzanaki said that in its first instance decision the Court did not apply the penal provisions and the real circumstances, which is “wrong”. She means the mitigating circumstance of the fine past of the Georgian. He used to often enter Greece illegally, he was arrested four times and all four time she was giving different personal information. In 2007 he was arrested for three months in the Deportation Department. He was released under the condition that he will appear two times per month in front of a prosecutor for three months, after which he was supposed to leave for his country.

The Georgian stayed in Greece illegally and he used to often change his job, in order to be able to provide for his family. According to the deputy prosecutor those fact do not imply a “fine past” even though he was never charged before.

Regarding the motif of the murder the deputy prosecutor believed that the Georgian identified the victim the night before the murder, when he visited the actor for the first time and 24 hours later killed and robbed him. This evaluation gives new dimensions to the case and if the robbery is proven, then David Mourtikneli will face more charges, which the first instance Court defined as robbery.