Kon Kritikos was a devoted man whose warmth brought joy to his loved ones. Tragically, his life was taken on November 11, 2020, when his de facto daughter-in-law, Danielle Birchall, allegedly assaulted him while seeking financial help. Prosecutors described the attack as brutal, inflicting severe injuries on the 87-year-old, who was supposed to be safe in his own home. After the incident, Kon was found barely conscious and later died in hospital two weeks later.
In court, it was revealed that Birchall initially lied about the crime and later returned to the home with her partner, Kon’s son, where they discovered him injured. Kon reportedly named Birchall as his attacker, saying “afti”, meaning “she did it” in Greek.
Birchall denied committing murder throughout two trials, with the second jury convicting her in November 2024. However, her lawyer stated she now admits to assaulting Kritikos, acknowledging she sought monetary assistance that day. He further claimed Birchall’s challenging upbringing and intellectual disability would add difficulty to her time in custody.
Kon’s nephew expressed the family’s devastation, emphasising the senseless loss of a kind man from his sanctum. Birchall faces a sentence set for April 4, with the maximum penalty being life imprisonment.