Officer handed 18 months for commando’s helicopter jump death

Commando squadron officer Marinos Ioannou was handed an 18-month prison sentence on Monday without suspension, for the death of 27-year-old soldier Panayiotis Yiannios, who was critically injured during a helicopter training exercise in June 2022.

Ioannou was responsible for the helicopter drop and was found guilty on June 10 by the Nicosia military court of causing death due to a reckless or dangerous act.

Yiannios had jumped from a helicopter, at a height of about eight metres, as part of a scheduled exercise, landing in the sea in Lara area of Akamas.

He was rescued by a boat, according to the scenario of the exercise, but was then found unconscious.

The soldier was taken to the intensive care unit at Nicosia general hospital in critical condition and later died.

He had been intubated and placed in a medically induced coma after suffering brain swelling and spine fractures during the accident.

Reading the ruling, the judge said the defendant had been found guilty of causing Yiannios’ death. “As a result of the fall, Yiannios died. He was 27 years old,” the judge said.

The judge referred to mitigating factors, such as the defendant’s clear criminal record and his family circumstances, as well as the fact that he jumped in to save Yiannios, placing his own life in danger.

A total of 25 prosecution and two defence witnesses testified in court.

The court deemed that the defendant had not made a momentary mistake, but had acted recklessly.