A COURT in Cyprus today jailed a British tourist for 15 years for killing a local motorcyclist and injuring his friend during a road incident last summer.

By Sharon Asplin

A COURT in Cyprus today jailed a British tourist for 15 years for killing a local motorcyclist and injuring his friend during a road incident last summer.

Julian Harrington, 39, from Witham in Essex, had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of motorcycle passenger Christos Papiris, 17, and causing grievous bodily harm to rider Marios Demetriou, also 17, on August 18 at Protaras.

He had initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea during the course of the trial.

The court said Harrington had rammed the youths' motorcycle with his rental car and had showed no remorse even after the victims were knocked off during the incident in the southern resort of Larnaca.

Papiris hit a lamppost and later died of internal injuries.

Judge Antonis Liatsos said Harrington “abandoned the scene and tried to cover his tracks”.

The incident followed a fight at a nightclub in which a British friend of the defendant was injured.

Papiris and Demetriou were not at the nightclub and not involved in the fight. Liatsos added that the defendant had earlier pursued other motorbikes, seeking out the individuals who injured his friend.