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Camden New Journal - by RICHARD OSLEY
Published: 10 May 2007

Murder victim Frankie Kyriacou

Teen murderer must serve at least 12 years

A TOP judge has ruled that the jail tariff for the killer of popular Kentish Town teenager should be set at 12 years.
In a case that rocked the close-knit community, John Greaney stabbed Frankie Kyriacou, 19, in May 2002.
He was jailed for life five months later.
Mr Justice Keith said at the Court of Appeal on Thursday that his sentence should be set, ruling that Greaney had probably intended to injure Frankie rather than kill him.
The court heard how Greaney, 23 at the time, was “spoiling for a fight” and stood outside Frankie’s home in Falkland Road clapping his hands until the teenager and his brother emerged.
Greaney, of Leighton Road, Kentish Town, produced a carving knife from his waist band and lashed out three times at Frankie, finally plunging the blade downwards, seven inches into his chest.
Frankie died less than two hours later.
Greaney also stabbed Frankie’s brother in the thigh, an offence for which he received a six year concurrent sentence for wounding with intent.
After reviewing the case at London’s Royal Courts of Justice at the behest of the Home Secretary, Mr Justice Keith fixed his jail “tariff” at 12 years before he can apply for parole.
The ruling means Greanie can have no hope of release before 2013. Even then, he will only be freed if he can persuade the authorities he poses no serious danger to society.
Before the killing, Greaney had been heard to utter a “disparaging comment about Turks” – Frankie was part of the Turkish-Cypriot community – but the judge ruled it had not been a racially motivated killing.
The judge said Greaney had been armed with a fearsome knife and was intent on using it. He had also “consumed a large quantity of alcohol and drugs which had put him in a highly dangerous frame of mind”.
But in Greaney’s favour, the judge said that, although he had clearly planned to attack someone with the knife, it was “unlikely that he had intended to kill Frankie.”

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