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- Was it one, or two or three together?
- Victim: One.
- Victim: …t was one he was alone.
- In front, to the side or behind you?
- Victim: In front of me and with many people around. This person worked in the night entertainment industry, he had several clubs, he was a sort of (tough) guy, and he took part in organized fightsÖ
- What kind of fighting matches?
- Victim: He practiced Muay Thai and Kick Boxing.
- Both systems?
- Victim: Yes.
- Ok.
- Do any of you have any questions?
- One, Ône at a time!
- Was it a large knife?
- Victim: A folding knife.
- A real knife.
- Meaning?
- Victim: Twelve centimeters (blade).
- ‘welve centimeters, so it was an item this bigÖ
- Victim: He did not stab with it, but he knew how to work the knife very wellÖ
- Victim: at this moment he is serving time in Sweden for ***, he is that type of person.
- Good, Ok. Another question?
- Ask it!
- Was this conflict something you were forced into or did you go looking for it?
- Victim: I was also in the wrong becauseÖ
- Victim: everyone was saying that he was a dangerous personÖ
- Victim: people had also encouraged himÖ
- Victim: so I guess we both had something to ìproveî to each otherÖ
- Victim: something which I regretted afterwards.
- Good!
- Yes ask it!
- When you said that it was after two or three minutes you began to realize that he had stabbed youÖ
- What did begin to you feel?
- Victim: I lost my sight, I could no longer seeÖ
- You had obviously lost much blood.
- What were the consequences of this incident? What followed?
- Victim: The result was that even though I had been an athleteÖ
- Victim: I ended up working at jobs to make ends meetÖ
- Victim: I understood that I should not be so immersed in training (of this kind)Ö
- - Victim: I have already done so. With training and all that, I was very highly strungÖ
- Victim: what I eventually came to understand after all this, that in my misfortuneÖ
- Victim: I was fortunate, because I could have diedÖ
- Victim: they brought me back (to life) twice with a defibrillatorÖ
- Victim: The doctor to this day comes to my home; he loves me like his own childÖ
- Victim: because he says that this (my being alive) was not possibleÖ
- Victim: I was in a state where everything was hanging out, it was veryÖ
- How many stabs did you sustain in front?
- Victim: Three.
- Three in front?
- You were opened up?
- Victim: Yes.
- Which areas exactly, can you show us?
- Victim: Here, one here and one skew (under the armpit).
- So the ones at the top here had opened up.
- Victim: Yes.
- Victim: The only thing I believe (which helped) was that I was in very good physical conditionÖ
- Victim: and well trained.
- And your body took it.
- Victim: Yes.
- How long was it you lost your sight?
- Victim: After one and a half minutes I could not see him, we were both still at it.
- It was while you were both throwing punches that you lost (your sight)?
- Victim: Yes we were both still on our feet.
- Did you feel the stabs, or did you think they were punches?
- Victim: No, at the end I saw him switch the knife, because I broke (his grip) with my knee and I saw him switch the knife and catch it with the other hand.
- Say Again?
- Victim: He was wellÖ (trained).
- Ah, he was a good technician.
- Victim: He knew what he was doingÖ
- Victim: Yes and a girl that was in front of the whole incident now has psychological problems, she is asking for damages from both of us.
- From you and the other guy?
- Why is she asking for damages from you?
- Victim: Because she claims we both caused her problems.
- So, during the fight he switched the knife and caught it (with the other hand)?
- Victim: Yes, he was one of the best in Athens and a good athleteÖ
- Victim: he trained in martial arts, swords and stuff, he wasÖ
- Itís like the teacher says, one winner, two losers.
- He should have controlled his ego, his ego did this.
-The incident started with him unarmed?
- So you saw his hands and he was unarmed and thenÖ
- Victim: Yes.
- So it was during the incident that he drew the knife.
- Was it the type you unfold or was it a fixed blade?
- Victim: With a button.
- So, it was the type you open with a button (switchblade).
- So you could not have known beforehand to look for it?
- Victim: No, if I had knownÖ a friend of mine who was next to me, told me that this guy was crafty, the type of person it was best (to back away from)Ö
- Victim: Ône moment I apologized because I saw it with his gloves, then I looked at his shoes, tight, I could see he wasÖ
- readyÖ
- Victim: Did you understand? I was still holding onto my jacked and was wearing light shoes.
- So you were not expecting it at all?
- Victim: Yes, it was not that I was notÖ (ready)
- You said gloves?
- Victim: On the one hand he was wearing a glove with cut off fingersÖ
- Victim: and he had taken a peculiar stanceÖ
- Was it all pre-planned?
- Victim: When he fought he made trouble.
- I am trying to say something else, had he selected you or was it a thing of the moment?
- Victim: No, at that moment he was about to leaveÖ
- Victim: And the other people pushed him into it, a standoff and swearing ^$^%#*^
- What I am essentially asking you is the reason (for the incident)
- The others pushed him into it.
- Victim: The reason was aboutÖ something else.
- So you had previous matters to settle and everything had been set up and was just waiting for a spark to happen?
- Victim: Yes, that is how it was.
- So there were others that pushed him, and pushed the whole incident.
- Victim: Yes, they were telling him that he can also fight and is a good fighterÖ
- So let me ask you, did it have any bearing that both you and he were involved in martial arts and especially with Muay Thai, Kick Boxing and so onÖ?
- do you believe that it influenced you to fight with him? Or did it influence him?
- Victim: No, JustÖ
- To see who was best and who would come out on top?
- Victim: No, I took it as an affront to my ego and I was ashamed to back off.
- But you were influenced by your skills.
- Yes, but when I saw him I knew he was ready and I would also get beaten onÖ
- Victim: but I knew that I would also beat on himÖ
- Victim: he also, and this is why he took out the knife because as he was hitting me he thought (I would back down).
- Victim: (I did not) which is why he was forcedÖ
- Victim: I hit him here, there, under; I also hit him as he wasÖ
- Victim: about forty seconds of fightingÖ
- Victim: After that nothing happened.
- The knife came out towards the end.
- Or from the middle (of the incident) and afterÖ
- Victim: Toward the end.
- So it was due to ego when the other guy started losingÖ
- It is what we say, that the longer the duration (of a conflict), ego starts to creep in and this increases the odds of having a weapon come into the unarmed till then brawl.
- So if you could turn the clock back in time you would not haveÖ
- Victim: Iíd run.
- You would not have let your ego influence you.
- Can I ask? Where did he have the knife?
- Victim: It seems he dropped it from inside his sleeve.
- Ah, so it was in his sleeve!
- Victim: So they say, I did not see it; if I had I could have avoided itÖ
- Victim: I believe.
- You usually donít see the knifeÖ
- you feel it.
- Any other questions gentlemen?
- Yes.
- During the brawl did you do things that you had plannedÖ
- or did you hit wherever you could?
- Victim: No I kicked him with the shins; I tried to get a couple of kicks on the neck.
- So you did have one or two specific techniques you mentioned, where you planned that you would now ìdo this!î?
- Victim: You donít have a specific technique at that moment, where you saw ribs, where you saw an opening, you hitÖ
- Victim: I got him at a couple of targets but I could notÖ
- You could not drop him.
- Victim: Yes.
- Do you believe that this sport you practiced, this combat sport, had prepared you adequately for what you were faced with?
- Victim: I was not involved in championship in it (the sport).
- At whatever level you practiced it.
- Victim: I believe that it would have been better to get punched a few times stay down and let him beat me.
- Excuse me for saying this again, were you preparedÖ
- for when you get involved in a fight, the other guy might be armed and you will have to keep it in mind and stay on the lookout at all cost?
- Victim: You mean a weaponÖ?
- Yes, I approach you and ask you (aggressively) ìwhatís up ***?îÖ, when you see I am aggressive and you have been told I could be armed, that I am armed?
- Victim: No I was only doing Kick Boxing and I never had that kind of mindsetÖ
- Victim: but I thought I had it, just like I had it when I was in action fighting in the sportÖ
- Victim: No one in my crowd had told me that he might draw a knife.
- Did you realize you were not prepared for this?
- Victim: Yes.
- So to recount these were four stabs in the abdomen and oneÖ
- One here.
- Under the armpit, ok.
- You did not see the knife.
- Victim: No.
- Essentially you saw it when he switched hands
- The knife, heÖ
- he felt it and then he saw it.
- You felt the strikes on you noÖ
- Victim: Yes, I was sticky I no longer hadÖ you understand.
- You were losing consciousness.
- œk
- Loss of blood.
- You must have had internal hemorrhage?
- Victim: Yes, plenty.
- How many stitches did you receive?
- Victim: Forty fiveÖ from here toÖ
- Right.
- Internally also?
- Victim: Yes.
- So internally and externally.
- And they brought you back to life twice.
- Victim: Yes with a defibrillator.
- So now your situation is as it was before or canít you recover as you were?
- Sorry if it is too personal you donít have to answer.
- Victim: No, no itís not, since I chose to come here I will take the questions.
- I believe I had a little luck and I was not affectedÖ
- Meaning you cannot continue on to professional athleticism?
- Victim: Yes my stomach muscles were stiff, I kept going to physiotherapists, I fell behind, it ìabandonsî you (your conditioning)Ö
- Victim: After seven months I tried to get back into it (Athletics)Ö
- You had no strength.
- Victim: Yes.
- Can I ask, after the incident and after the hospital, how long did it take you to recover?
- Victim: After a week in the hospital I was told I would have to stay for a monthÖ
- Victim: and because I have grown up at Pelion ñ this was relevant, I asked the doctor to discharge meÖ
- Since you know from where I am and howÖ
- Victim: and with the doctorís agreement he took me home
- Victim: to PelionÖ
- Victim: ideally I should have stayed for a month, but I was at home with an oxygen mask.
- So to say that youíre back to normal, meaning, without pain, withoutÖ
- Victim: After a month and a half.
- After a month and a half!
- One and a half months to walk normallyÖ
- Without pain?
- Victim: Pain I had even after six month, I moved and my stomach muscles hurt.
- Did you have and internal difficulties?
- Victim: Yes! Mostly it was psychological.
- Were your internal organs affected?
- Victim: No they were (all right).
- Lucky, four stabs and no damage, that was simply luck.
- Huge luck.
- Did it affect you at all psychologically?
- Victim: A little, I became more introverted, moreÖ
- Reclusive.
- Victim: Yes, in the past I would hear about martial arts, if I were here for instance, I would come and fightÖ
- Victim: Now I have calmed down I am no longer interested...
- Victim: I came here (today) because I have heard him talking where I workÖ
- He speaks well and knows certain things which I heard and heís very correct.
- Has anyone else any questions?
- No I just want to tell him some advice. Donít get disappointed, I have had three hundred stitchesÖ
- I had been opened up like a sack but I never quit.