At a court hearing attended by a full courtroom, the presiding judge announced that the defendant has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for the crime of aggravated homicide and must pay 177,000 euros in compensation to the victim’s parents.
The defendant, who has been in custody since February 6, 2024, attacked the 36-year-old victim, who had her back turned, with a large knife, first striking the lower back and then the neck in a “treacherous” manner, as noted by Judge Teresa de Sousa.
The crime took place after a fair in the parish of Campanário, where both the defendant and the victim had been working as street vendors.
The court found that the victim was intoxicated and had approached the defendant, who was using heroin, to confront him about stolen agricultural equipment.
Before the defendant’s employer became involved in an altercation with the victim, the defendant called emergency services, which transferred the call to Civil Protection.
However, the defendant did not complete the call and was heard saying quietly, “this one will get stabbed today,” the judge reported.
“You didn’t arm yourself with just any knife; you specifically looked for one of the two larger knives,” she added, noting they were “stored in a box beneath the meat counter.”
After the employer and the victim engaged in a confrontation, the defendant “could have sought help from someone else” but instead surprised the victim from behind, the judge stated.
At the start of the trial on May 13, the defendant claimed he acted in defense of his employer, who was being assaulted by the victim, and asserted that he did not intend to kill the victim.
