The man accused of entering the Torres Vedras City Hall armed and assaulting four employees a year ago apologized to the victims during the final arguments of the trial at the Loures court today.
“Based on what I heard, I committed crimes and I want to apologize to the people I offended,” said the defendant during the last session of the trial, where he gave testimony for the first time.
The man stated he does not recall the events charged by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, claiming to have been experiencing a “psychotic episode” at the time in October 2024.
The defendant, who is awaiting trial in psychiatric detention, “suffers from a mental illness,” according to psychiatric evaluations presented in court.
In the final arguments, the Public Prosecutor argued that, except for the theft charge, “there is evidence to say that the remaining crimes [unlawful entry, qualified bodily harm, aggravated threat, aggravated insults, damage, and possession of a prohibited weapon] occurred.”
Given the conclusions of the psychiatric evaluation, the prosecutor stated the defendant should be deemed non-criminally responsible and requested a “security measure” be applied, either through psychiatric hospitalization or outpatient treatment, if conditions allow.
The lawyer representing the City Council agreed with the Public Prosecutor.
The defense lawyer argued that the defendant should be acquitted of theft, damage, unlawful entry, insults, threats, and possession of a prohibited weapon due to insufficient evidence.
The court could not identify the “object” used in the assault on the employees, therefore the defendant “cannot be convicted” for possession of a prohibited weapon, nor can the bodily harm and threat charges be aggravated, she argued.
The defense requested the defendant be deemed non-criminally responsible and, if convicted, a “security measure” be applied through outpatient psychiatric treatment to allow him to resume his teaching profession.
“I ask the court for an opportunity to be able to work and rebuild my life, as I have been imprisoned for a year,” the defendant pleaded.
The judges scheduled the verdict for December 5.
The man awaits trial in preventive psychiatric detention due to a psychiatric disorder.
According to the Public Prosecutor, on October 28, 2024, displeased with his son’s dismissal from the municipality, the defendant went to the Torres Vedras City Hall with a sharp object and entered the premises “without authorization.”
Inside the municipal facilities, “he approached the Head of the Heritage Division, whom he insulted, threatened, and assaulted,” as well as three other employees who came to assist their colleague, damaging a door before leaving.
On the same day, at a supermarket in Peniche, “after exchanging a few words with a citizen, he went to his vehicle, retrieved the sharp object, and struck a blow that damaged the citizen’s coat, stealing a deck of cards and a pack of cigarettes.”
The man was apprehended by the PSP on November 5, 2024, following a warrant issued by the Public Prosecutor.
The PSP today detained the man suspected of entering the Torres Vedras City Hall last week with a knife and assaulting four employees, an official police source told the Lusa agency.
