The Alicante Court convicted the man prosecuted by a jury for murdering his tenant and living with her body in the flat they shared in the heart of the Alicante capital for nearly a month to 15 years in jail.
The sentence considers as proven facts, based on the jury’s verdict, that the defendant used a 15-centimetre-long knife and a hammer to attack the victim, “knowing that no one would help her” and that “they were alone, and there was a disproportionate amount of strength and size.”
The defendant was found guilty of murder in a unanimous decision by the jury, which also found the aggravating circumstance of treachery proven and granted the mitigating circumstance of confession, as the defendant eventually confessed to the crime via a call to the police emergency line nearly a month after it occurred.
Despite being diagnosed with cluster B personality disorder and schizophrenia, the jury determined that the defendant “had intact intellectual and volitional faculties and was fully aware of his actions,” according to the verdict, and so it denied the full and incomplete defence.
The jury also found no aggravating circumstance of cruelty, as it was unclear which stab wound caused death and whether the repeated stabbings were meant to cause unnecessary pain.
The incident took place on August 29th, 2023, at the home of the defendant’s family, who had rented a room to the victim, a 66-year-old woman.
According to the sentence, the defendant “approached the victim as she stood in the hallway and attacked her from behind with the knife and hammer, suddenly and unexpectedly, without giving her time to react, causing repeated and intense stab wounds to her chest and upper back.”
According to the decision, he stabbed the victim 16 times. He then tied up the body and dragged it into a bedroom, where he concealed it with rubbish bags and a duvet. On September 24th, about a month after the crime, he contacted 911 and confessed to killing the victim.
In addition to the 15-year jail sentence for murder, the verdict requires the defendant to pay €30,000 in civil liability to the deceased’s son and serve five years of probation in addition to his prison term.
The verdict can be appealed to the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJCV) within ten days after notification.
Author: Derek Appleton
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