Man acquitted of murder on grounds of self-defence after shooting two robbers in Cartagena
A man has been acquitted of two counts of homicide after shooting two members of a drug-trafficking clan who attacked him at his home in Cartagena in November 2021.
Acquittal on grounds of self-defence in defence of his life
The Provincial Court of Murcia has exempted a man from criminal liability after he shot dead two members of a drug-trafficking clan during a raid on his home in Cartagena. According to Libertad Digital, the court found that he acted in self-defence after being shot in the abdomen and hearing one of the attackers shouting "finish him off".
The ruling from the Fifth Section of the Provincial Court, handed down last Friday, applies the full exemption under Article 20.4 of the Penal Code. The parties reached an agreement to plead, so no jury was constituted.
The events of the night of 6 November 2021
The events occurred around 21:15 hours in Cartagena. Weeks earlier, one of the clan members—who was in prison at the time—had contacted the man demanding 500 euros per week to allow him to continue selling drugs. When he refused, he received threats of assault and closure of his sales point.
That night, several members of the group, some hooded and armed, forced their way into the home. They detained another person who was in the property and began beating the man they wanted to extort.
The confrontation and the shootings
Once subdued, one of the robbers demanded he pay 3,000 euros every Monday to continue selling drugs or buy directly from the clan. When he refused again, one of the group members shot him from approximately two metres away, hitting him in the abdomen.
While the man was wounded, at least two robbers lunged at him whilst another member of the group repeatedly shouted "finish him off". At that moment, the property owner retrieved a pistol he had stored under a sofa cushion and fired several shots.
Two of the robbers were hit. One died that same night from his wounds; the second died three days later, on 9 November. The rest of the group fled whilst firing shots as they abandoned the property.
Additional sentences
Although acquitted of the homicides, the man was convicted of other offences. He received two years in prison and a fine of 14,299.77 euros for an offence against public health with an aggravating factor of recidivism. He was also sentenced to one year in prison for unlicenced possession of a firearm, as he did not have a licence for the pistol. Officers found approximately 300 grammes of cocaine, cannabis and drug-dealing equipment.
The other seven defendants were also convicted. The man who shot the property owner received six months for attempted extortion, six months for breaking and entering, one year and seven months for assault with a dangerous weapon, and one year for unlicenced possession of a firearm.
Another armed participant was sentenced to six months for attempted extortion, six months for breaking and entering, and one year and one month for unlicenced possession of a firearm. Four other members of the group each received six months for attempted extortion and a further six months for breaking and entering. The defendant who made the threats from prison was sentenced to six months for attempted extortion.
Source: Libertad Digital