Trial for murder of Carmen in Sabiote: begins 21 September with parole-eligible life sentence sought
The Provincial Court of Jaén has set 21 September for the trial of the man accused of murdering a 74-year-old woman in Sabiote. The prosecution seeks a parole-eligible life sentence.
Man accused of killing Carmen in Sabiote to stand before jury on 21 September
The Provincial Court of Jaén has set 21 September as the start date for the oral trial against a 41-year-old man accused of murdering Carmen, a 74-year-old resident of Sabiote, according to ideal.es. A lay jury will deliberate for a week and decide on the guilt or innocence of the defendant. The prosecution seeks a parole-eligible life sentence, the maximum penalty provided for under Spanish law.
The facts according to the charge
The events date back to the early morning of 6-7 May 2024. The Public Prosecutor's Office contends that the defendant gained access to the victim's home by scaling the exterior wall to the terrace and took advantage of an open window to enter "without being noticed". Once inside, he went to the bedroom where Carmen was resting "defenceless and with no option to defend herself".
According to the charge, he placed a bag over her head, struck her repeatedly, and inflicted up to six stab wounds with an awl or similar instrument. He subsequently assaulted her sexually and, upon discovering that the victim had managed to identify him, decided to end her life by asphyxiation to prevent her from reporting him.
Attempt to destroy evidence and flight to a brothel
Following the murder, the defendant is alleged to have sprayed bleach throughout various rooms of the property to hamper the investigation, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office. Before leaving the premises, he is said to have stolen money, jewellery, a grill plate, some shackles, several containers of oil and other personal effects.
The defendant also took control of the victim's vehicle and drove to a brothel in Úbeda, where he arrived "displaying" part of the allegedly stolen goods. Hours later he was arrested by the Civil Guard and remanded into provisional custody, where he has remained ever since.
The sentences sought by the prosecution
The Public Prosecutor's Office seeks a parole-eligible life sentence for the crime of murder, 15 years imprisonment for sexual assault, five years for robbery with violence in an inhabited dwelling and a further five for the theft of a motor vehicle for use, the latter two with a repeat-offence aggravating factor. The prosecution also demands compensation of €250,000 for the victim's four children.
A landmark trial in Jaén province
It will be the first jury trial held in Jaén so far this year and the second occasion on which a request for a parole-eligible life sentence has been put forward in the province. The oral hearing will examine the scientific, documentary and witness evidence gathered during the investigation, as well as the statements of the defendant himself and those appearing as witnesses. Subsequently, the president judge of the Second Section will hand down sentence.
A parole-eligible life sentence may only be imposed in a very limited number of cases provided for by the Penal Code, among them certain murders of particular gravity. Although it is an indefinite sentence, Spanish legislation provides for its review once a minimum period of imprisonment has been served, provided that the legally established requirements are met.
The precedent of the Khawla murder in Alcalá la Real
The first time this sentence was requested and imposed in the province was in the case of Khawla, a 14-year-old girl murdered in Alcalá la Real in February 2022. The defendant received a parole-eligible life sentence, together with 15 years imprisonment for sexual assault, in a sentence subsequently upheld by the High Court of Justice of Andalusia.
In that trial, the defendant maintained that the girl's death resulted from practising the asphyxiation game in a "consensual" manner and that the rape occurred when the girl was already dead. The jury rejected that version and supported the arguments of the Public Prosecutor's Office and the private prosecution.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)