A judge in a criminal instructional court has confirmed an indictment detailing that the relationship between a married couple with two adult children had become marked by distance.
In early May 2024, the husband confronted his wife with a rumor suggesting “a man from the village intended to buy a house to live there with a married woman,” suspecting it involved his own wife, as relayed in a report accessed by Lusa.
Following this confrontation, the wife informed her husband of her desire for a separation.
Subsequently, the accused repeatedly told their children he could not live without their mother and threatened his wife with suicide should she leave him, aiming to deter her from pursuing a separation.
On the afternoon of May 25, while the couple was in an annex of their residence, driven by jealousy, the accused hit his wife multiple times on the head with an iron mallet.
Despite seeing her on the ground with severe head injuries and unable to defend herself, he “continued to strike her head” with the mallet, delivering not fewer than 12 blows.
The accused also attempted to strangle his wife. After ensuring she was dead, he called emergency services, stating he had killed his wife and requested police presence.
He then inflicted three cuts on himself with a knife, according to the prosecution.
Due to his injuries, he was taken to Santo André Hospital in Leiria.
The prosecution maintains that the accused, now in pre-trial detention, “acted with the completed intent to end” his wife’s life, showing “contempt and total disregard” for her life.
The indictment specifies that jealousy motivated the man, as he suspected her of having an extramarital affair.
The accused faces charges of aggravated homicide, which could lead to a prison sentence of 12 to 25 years, along with an additional penalty of being declared unworthy of inheritance.
The prosecution has also requested civil compensation for the couple’s children.
The trial will be conducted by a panel of judges.
