Brother accuses wife of 'silver bullets' murder - 22 years later

A millionaire has broken his 22-year silence about the murder of his brother and demanded action against the prime suspect - the dead man's wife.

Achilleas Constantinou spoke out more than two decades after his fashion tycoon brother Aristos Constantinou was dramatically shot dead with seven silver bullets in the early hours of New Year's Day 1985.

The Greek businessman was gunned down in his "Millionaire's Row" mansion in the famous Bishop's Avenue in Hampstead, north London.

Despite two police investigations, a string of appeals and reconstructions, his killer has never been caught.

But his brother Achilleas has now slammed the Crown Prosecution Service for not trying to prosecute Aristos's widow Elena Hadjicostis.

Mr Constantinou, 58, who lives next door to his brother's former home, said: "We have decided we want it made public that, as far as we are concerned, this murder is solved."

In a 1997 report to the CPS, police named Mrs Hadjicostis, who now lives in Cyprus with her third husband, as the prime suspect in the killing of Mr Constantinou.

A letter from Met Assistant Commissioner Anderson Dunn in 1999, made public for the first time this week, said the report led to new evidence, which "pointed directly at Elena Constantinou as being implicated in the murder of her husband".

The CPS did not prosecute the case and for the last five years Mr Constantinou has dedicated his life to trying to find out why. He received a letter from the CPS last month saying the reason would not be revealed because it is "privileged material".

Achilleas, who still runs the successful fashion business Ariella his brother started 40 years ago, has now called for the CPS to be disbanded.

He said: "The CPS has been allowed to frustrate the rights not only of the police who work tirelessly to bring criminals to trial but also of the victims' families - who need closure.

"The right to prosecute should be given back to police."

Mrs Hadjicostis left the UK months after her husband was killed with their three children and remarried in 1986.

In 2002 she said she didn't have any involvement in the murder and said she would not be returning to the UK for questioning.

Mr Constantinou said he was now set to seek a judicial review or a private prosecution. He said: "We are not seeking revenge - we just want closure."