Passaris sentenced to 45 years in Athens court

An Athens court on Wednesday handed down a 45-year prison sentence to the notorious bank robber Kostas Passaris, who is serving multiple life sentences in Romania.

The ruling came after the court found Passaris, 44, guilty on four counts of attempted manslaughter and five robberies in 2000 though it cleared him of another six charges of manslaughter against police officers.

Passaris was not present in court as his request to be transferred to Greece for the proceedings was denied.

His appeal against the four life terms he is serving for four murder convictions, including those of two Athens police officers in 2001, is expected to be heard in an Athens appeals court in due course.