Man confesses to killing his ‘friend’
A MAN has admitted to killing his “friend” whose body was found washed up on rocks at Girne harbour.
Turkish citizen Halil Karakız, 25, was found dead on Friday last week after it was initially believed that he had jumped into the sea in a bid to take his own life.
A post-mortem, however, revealed that Mr Karakız “might have died” because of “skull fractures” and a brain haemorrhage.
Arif Gökçek, 20, who had been with Mr Karakız before his disappearance, had first told police that his “friend” had told him to “take care of yourself” before jumping off a sea wall.
He was later arrested, however, and remanded in custody on suspicion murder.
Mr Gökçek initially denied the charge, but on Wednesday confessed to of killing Karakız, Girne District Court heard. He was remanded in custody for eight days to allow police further time to investigate.
At an earlier hearing police officer Hasan Gökyay said that Mr Karakız had been found “trapped between rocks next to the pier” and that an autopsy at Lefkoşa State Hospital “indicated the cause of death as fractures to the skull due to a hard body impact and cerebral haemorrhage”.
Mr Gökçek, sporting a bruise on his face, told the court that Karakız had “psychological problems”, had been his “friend for 10 years” and that he had “tried to commit suicide before”.
He added: “We bought alcohol that day, went to Kordonboyu [in Girne] and sat by the rocks. He [Karakız] cried while talking about the problems with his father. Then he let himself in the sea. I can’t swim. This bruise on my eye is a result of hitting the rocks. I’m innocent.”