Sentence lowered for businessman in attempted homicide

An appeals court in Athens on Wednesday upheld the guilty verdict for a businessman who was convicted for the attempted homicide of a woman in November 2011 and weapon possession, but lowered his jail sentence to three years and one month.

Alexandros Aggloupas had been convicted by a lower court to 10 years and five months in prison for shooting the sister of his then girlfriend during an argument in the latter's house.

Speaking at the trial, the accused claimed that his gun fired accidentally. The victim, Georgia Farmaki, changed her original testimony, and corroborated Aggloupas' accident claim, saying she did not believe the accused wanted to kill her.

The trial prosecutor said she considered it possible that there was intent on the side of the accused and proposed a guilty verdict but recognized Aggloupas' efforts to rush her to a hospital as a mitigating circumstance.