From defense attorney to defendant and now in jail. It’s only been a few hours since lawyer Apostolos Lytras walked through the door of the Korydallos Correctional Facility in order to be remanded to custody for violating a restraining order.
The criminal lawyer was transferred to the sixth wing of the prison and “settled” in a cell in which there are two other prisoners, one for a drug case and the other for fraud. He has already spent his first night as a prisoner and, from now on, he will be forced to follow the prison’s schedule faithfully, while being able to receive visits from his close relatives and have contact with his lawyer.
Photos from the arrival of Apostolos Lytras at Korydallos prison:
The criminal lawyer’s life began to come “upside down” from the moment he raised his hand and, with unprecedented ferocity, brutally beat his wife Sophia Polyzogopoulou. A domino of developments followed, culminating in the 52-year-old’s eventual remand in custody for violating restraining orders as he allegedly sent threatening messages to his wife via Viber.
The countdown began last Tuesday night when Mr. Lytra’s ex-wife arrived outside Sofia Polyzogopoulou’s house along with his daughter and a lawyer in order to pick up some clothes and money.
When the three of them wanted to enter the house, tension prevailed with Ms. Polyzogopoulou’s father coming out of the house and asking them to leave and her addressing – shortly before she finally broke down – Mr. Lytra’s ex-wife, telling her “why are you taking his side when you are also in trouble?”
Revealing about what happened that night is the testimony of the police officer who was on duty as he described in detail what happened before and after the incident.
The police officer’s statement
“I am a police officer, I carry the rank of sergeant and serve on secondment at the Halandri Police Station. On 18/6/2024 I was assigned as a watch during the hours of 22.00 to 6.00 of 19/6/2024 of the house of Mrs. Polyzogopoulou in order, as I was informed by the previous watch, not to allow anyone to enter inside her house except the above mentioned and furthermore my colleague informed me that if someone wants to enter I have to ring the bell and ask her. At about 9.55 pm and while my evening shift colleague was still at the scene, a gentleman in a suit arrived on foot, who did not speak to us at all and went to enter the house. We asked him who he was and what he wanted and he replied that he was a partner of the family and that he had spoken, implying that he had made arrangements with Mrs. Polyzogopoulou. We then rang the bell to get instructions about the person but no one answered. While we waited for a response from the house the other colleague left at the end of his duty and after one or two minutes two ladies arrived at the scene. I approached them and asked them why they were here, informing them that no one could enter the house.
Then the young lady, one of the two, replied that she lives here and that she has the keys. I asked to see their particulars and the girl showed me her identity card where her full name was written, namely Lytra P. So assuming that she really lives in the house to have keys, but also the surname of the well-known criminal lawyer Mr. Lytra, I replied that if one of the three is to enter, only the girl will enter and that I am still waiting for an answer from the bell for the gentleman. Then with her keys the girl opened the curtain door to prove to me that she was indeed an occupant of the house, telling me once more that she wanted to get her things. The moment the door was opened all three entered the courtyard by taking two steps and I immediately called out to them ‘please come out’. At that moment an elderly gentleman, who was also in the courtyard, started shouting ‘why did you enter my house?’ and addressing me he asked ‘why did you let them in? I continued to give orders to the three to get out and at the same time I explained to the elderly gentleman that the girl lived here. When this gentleman replied that the girl does not live here either and that they should all come out, then I repeated the order even more forcefully ”please all come out and the young lady as well.
Finally they followed my instructions, came out of the courtyard, secured the door and the gentleman inside told me ”no one is to enter as instructed”. Up to that moment Mrs. Sophia had not appeared for me to receive official instructions. They replied to the gentleman that it is all fully understood, but I cannot know exactly which persons are allowed to enter. (…) After a while Mrs Sophia, the elderly gentleman who was in the house, left the house and at the same time the previous three approached again, whereupon they started to argue with each other, where I will quote some of the rhymes that took place, namely Mrs Sophia addressing the gentleman in the suit and the elderly woman said ”why are you coming to my house, why are you doing this to me?”
Similarly the older gentleman in age who by now I had figured out was her father said to them ”why are you coming here? Can’t you see the state my daughter is in?” And the two ladies replied ”why don’t you let us take the things, we are with you and you know it”. Sophia said, addressing the older lady, ‘why are you taking his side when you are in shock?’ She said she wanted to sue them and after a while she collapsed from the strain.”