He was a witness and victim of the murder of 19-year-old Alkis Campanos. His death was averted due to his serious condition, as well as his timely delivery to the hospital where he underwent emergency surgery, as described in the will that brought twelve defendants to trial in the Feb. 1 bloody fan incident. 2022, in the Harilau region.

Almost a year later, the 21-year-old “friend” of the deceased Alkis again encountered the criminals, this time in the hall of the Mixed Jury Court in Thessaloniki, where the trial continued for the 4th day, recalling the fateful night of the killer in his memory.

“They were cold, like murderers. They came to kill, quietly do what they did and leave (…) They came with scythes, sticks and knives (…) I froze when I saw the scythe (…) They only stopped when some people approached, otherwise I would was too dead,” said the young student during his long speech, which ended in the afternoon.

In a cold voice, the young student unraveled the tangle of events, describing them from his point of view, how he experienced them. “Alkis was my best friend. With the rest of the children (s.s.: a group of five people who were at the scene of the attack) we had a typical friendship. We knew each other through mutual friends, we went to the stadium together,” he testified, emphasizing that he was a fan of Ari, but not an organized fan of the team, “just like other children.”

They happened to be sitting on the steps of an apartment building

“That day we arrived around 8 pm at Ari Park. We had a quick coffee at Ari’s friends club and then headed back to the park. We often do this, go out, like this, for a walk. Alkis and I left on my motorcycle, and then three more children found us. We drank an energy drink and sat on the steps of an apartment building on T. Ghazi Street. We chose this place to “cut off” from the cold,” he said.

Their light-hearted conversation about computers and studies was abruptly interrupted when they noticed four people approaching them from the left, “walking calmly and coolly” and asking, “Which group are you?” The one who asked the question “was tall and blond,” said the witness, recognizing him in the face of the second defendant.

Continuing his testimony, the 21-year-old man stated that he then realized that 5 to 6 people were approaching from the right side. “They were all dressed in black so that no one could distinguish them in the dark, and they were all holding something in their hands,” he noted and added that he replied that he was Ares, but at that time could not understand that happened.

“It all happened in seconds”

At the sight that one of the criminals was holding a scythe, the 21-year-old boy, according to him, froze. Having received the first blows, he tried to defend himself with a helmet. “I hit a man on the head, he retreated 3-4 steps, hit me with a knife, left leg, thigh and right leg. At that time I was being held by several people. I wasn’t alone. They held me down, stabilizing me so others could hit me. I think there were several stab wounds. Everything happened very quickly, in a few seconds, ”Alka’s friend testified, emphasizing that he received 15 blows with a knife, a wooden pole and a sickle.

Trying to save Alki

“After a while, I heard Alki calling for help. He was on the steps. They pressed me against the wall of an apartment building and beat me. I saw how many people on the top of Alka beat him and shouted for help. There were definitely more than ten people on it. I didn’t have time to look any further because I was trying to save myself. I went to defend him, but they grabbed me and beat me. I tried not to lose consciousness, because otherwise I would have been killed. The last thing I remember is a blow to the head.

At this time, my head was spinning, and they began to leave. I saw them running towards Plastira street. I went down the stairs and took Alki in my arms, he took 2-3 steps, went to the flower bed, sat down and I tried to help him. A few minutes later, the police arrived…” he said, describing his desperate attempt to help Alkis and the moments before he was picked up by an EKAV ambulance.

Answering questions from the participants in the trial, the 21-year-old man, among other things, said that due to his psychological state he was never able to watch the video footage of the attack, while he expressed confidence that the perpetrators had accomplices. who informed them “when they tracked us down to come and do what they did to us”.

Among the “moments” that stood out during his testimony was the moment when the witness, turning to the defendants while the defense counsel was asking a question, addressed one of the 12, telling him: “You will not look at me, you will look down “.

What Sister Alki Testified About

Earlier, Alka Campanos’ sister, 22, testified, citing her brother’s short life. “He handled situations calmly and logically,” he said, stressing that he grew up in a family that gave him love and taught him to respect people. “I don’t remember a single case when he raised his hand to someone or cursed,” he said.

6/2 continued

Alka’s parents were also present in the courtroom today, and at the beginning of the court session in the morning there was an influential person of the PAE – Aris Theodoros Karipidis.

The trial has been adjourned and will resume on February 6 with the questioning of prosecution witnesses.

Source: RES-IPE