Hairdresser serving life sentence for murder seeks retrial

Convicted murderer Doros Theofanous, known as ‘the hairdresser’, has filed an application to reopen or annul his conviction, citing new sworn testimony that challenges the credibility of a key prosecution witness, it emerged on Friday.

Theofanous’ lawyers argue that fresh evidence undermines the testimony that was central to his conviction more than a decade ago.

Theofanous was sentenced on October 31, 2012, by the Paphos criminal court to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of his pregnant partner, Yulia Oporok, 24, and to 35 years for the killing of her three-year-old daughter, Victoria.

At his original trial, the court accepted as credible the testimony of fellow life prisoner Antonis Prokopiou Kitas, known as Al Capone, found guilty of killing two women and linked to the theft of former President Tassos Papadopoulos’ body from his grave in December 2009. He said Theofanous had confessed to the murders while on remand.

According to the application, three living witnesses and one deceased individual have provided affidavits claiming that Kitas later admitted he had lied in court.

Among those who filed sworn statements is former deputy attorney-general Loukis Loucaides, alongside a prison officer.

The defence maintains that this evidence emerged only after Theofanous’ appeal was rejected in 2017 and could, if accepted, justify either a retrial or the annulment of the conviction.

“If this material had been before the court, the outcome could have been different,” the application argues.

The court granted permission for the filing after determining that the testimony had not previously been examined.

A hearing is expected to be scheduled, allowing the legal service to respond before the court decides whether the case can be reopened.

Theofanous has remained a figure of intense public interest, not only because of the murders but also due to his escape from lawful custody in September 2024.

While on supervised leave at his parents’ home in Choletria, he fled despite being escorted by prison guards and police officers.

He was recaptured three days later, on Limassol’s seafront following a tip-off from a member of the public.

The escape triggered a national outcry and led to the dismissal of the police chief and his deputy, as well as senior prison officials.

In July 2025, the Paphos criminal court sentenced Theophanous to an additional three years in prison for escaping lawful custody, to be served consecutively.

Judges said the escape was “well organised” and did not amount to a voluntary surrender.

The court stressed at the time that the escape proceedings were unrelated to the original murder convictions.