Father and son in pre-trial detention for fatal shooting in São Pedro da Cova, Gondomar
Manuel and Pedro Mendes were remanded in custody after appearing before the Criminal Instruction Court in Porto. The victim, Fernando Cunha, 45, was shot dead on Monday.
Father and son detained for homicide in Gondomar held in pre-trial detention
Manuel and Pedro Mendes, father and son suspected of the death of Fernando Cunha, 45, were remanded in custody on Wednesday after appearing before the Criminal Instruction Court in Porto, according to jn.pt. The two were transferred to Custóias prison, in Matosinhos. The crime occurred on Monday night in São Pedro da Cova, Gondomar.
According to the investigation, it was Pedro Mendes, 31, who fired the shots that struck the victim. The two suspects were heard throughout the afternoon of Wednesday before the restraining measure was determined.
Tension at the courthouse doors
Upon the arrival of the suspects at the courthouse, relatives of both the victim and the accused waited at the door of the building. The atmosphere became tense and there was a moment of greater tension between the two families. Several people present called the two men "murderers".
The two families point to the exchange of messages between the victim's son and the daughter of accused Manuel Mendes as the reason that led to the confrontation, but they recount the events in different ways.
Conflicting versions
A cousin of Fernando Cunha described to Correio da Manhã the sequence of events according to her version: "My cousin received a call from Mr Manuel Mendes saying that either he was going to come to his house to sort out the matter or else he was coming to my cousin's house and he was not going to leave him in peace. Neither him nor his son. My cousin after receiving that phone call left work and went home to pick up his partner and headed to Mr Manuel's house. As soon as my cousin got out of the van they were already hitting him. They didn't give him time, they didn't give him any chance. The aim was for him to arrive there so they could beat him."
The sister of Manuel Mendes, 53, presented a different reading of the facts. According to her, her brother was provoked inside his own home and her daughter was a victim of bullying: "What they were doing to my niece was bullying, she has a disability that everyone is aware of. The man who ended up dying when he arrived there was hitting my niece. He was sending messages to my brother saying he was going to hurt everyone in the family. It was he who arrived there with a club. I'm not shifting the blame from my brother, but he was in his own house."
Families in shock
After the crime, Manuel Mendes reportedly called several family members to tell them what had happened. His sister recounted the call with obvious distress: "He called each of his siblings and said he had ruined his life. I didn't want to believe it, and I didn't even know my brother had a gun at home. Our family is in pieces."
On the victim's side, the same cousin described the impact of Fernando Cunha's death on those close to him. "My cousin was a very good person. He was hardworking, he helped everyone and that's why everyone liked him. His son is devastated. He feels guilty and it's been very difficult."
Fernando Cunha's funeral is taking place on Thursday at 16h30 at the Fânzeres Funeral Chapel in Gondomar.
Source: Google News PT — Crime (pt)