The movements of a 46-year-old former Greek Navy non-commissioned officer appear to have been carefully calculated before the arson attack on his ex-partner’s apartment in Glyfada on October 29. According to a Live News report, he had checked the security cameras in the building’s basement, attempted to find a way to disable the ground floor alarm system, and concealed fuel canisters outside the building’s entrance — all part of what appears to have been a meticulously organized plan.
Read also: Glyfada arson: The damning video of the 46-year-old Navy officer — the moment he breaks into his ex-partner’s home
Glyfada: Reconnaissance and rehearsals before the arson attack
Before setting the fire and before the first fire engines arrived on scene, he is alleged to have surveyed the premises, conducted tests to gauge residents’ reactions, and calculated exactly how much time he would need to escape. According to information presented by the program, he had even prepared a cover story for his mother to avoid raising her suspicions.
On October 24 — five days before he set fire to the second-floor apartment — footage appears to show him entering through the main entrance and descending to the basement, where he inspected the positions of the security cameras. Four days later, he appears to have carried out what can only be described as a full dress rehearsal inside the building. At the time, he was still living in the second-floor apartment himself, with the permission of his ex-partner’s father, while he looked for a new place to live. His apparent objective was to calculate his escape time for the following day.
On the night of the arson attack, he concealed his identifying features before entering the apartment. He set the fire and successfully fled the scene. He then made his way to another part of Glyfada and on to Nea Iraklio, where he proceeded to set fire to the vehicles of two other former partners.
Four domestic violence complaints filed against him
Over the past two years, four separate domestic violence complaints had been filed against the suspect — yet he had remained free throughout. Following the recent arson attacks, he was tracked down and arrested on the island of Lefkada.
By order of the Ministry of National Defence, the 46-year-old was dismissed from the Greek Navy, and was remanded in custody yesterday following his testimony before the Naval Court.
