A 55-year-old man was sentenced in the Alicante Court to 19 months and 15 days in prison for repeated break-ins, including entries into his ex-wife’s home in Vila Joiosa. The defendant stated in a video included in the case that the intent was to smell his ex-wife’s underwear.
The man had also planted a voice recorder to capture his private conversations with his ex-wife. He was scheduled to be tried by a popular jury in Alicante this week, but prosecutors and the special prosecutor, Francisco González, reached a settlement with the defense lawyer, Maria Girona. The defendant pleaded guilty and accepted a prison term of about 20 months for habitual burglary with aggravating circumstances and violence, plus 12,000 euros to compensate the victim.
Initially, the request was for a total of five years in prison and 6,000 euros in non-pecuniary damages. The agreement granted him a public pardon for the crime of discovering and revealing secrets, leaving him convicted only of breaking and entering.
key set
The incidents occurred toward the end of 2020 at a house in Vila Joiosa where the ex-wife lived. According to the defendant’s confession, he entered the residence with the aim of violence on the morning of December 7, as he had done on previous days, violating her privacy. The intruder entered using a set of keys taken without permission and was discovered by a friend of the resident.
According to the lawyer Francisco González, the friend began asking for an explanation about the presence at the house. While being recorded, the defendant admitted that he habitually went to the home to smell his ex-wife’s underwear.
Additionally, the defendant admitted at the hearing that he hid a voice recorder inside the home in 2019 to harm his ex-wife’s privacy, and that he captured, recorded, and later played back private conversations involving his ex-wife.
Postponement of sentence
The jury court president, Sonia Gallego, decided to delay the execution of the sentence due to lack of background. The defendant agreed to a prison term not exceeding two years and to pay compensation. If the fine is not paid or another crime is committed within the next two years, the sentence can be withdrawn, including the decision to postpone execution. The defendant remains separated from his ex-wife for two years and seven months and must cover procedural costs to the special prosecutor’s office.
González stated in court that the client decided to forgive himself for the crime of revealing secrets to protect a small child and felt the agreed punishment was sufficient. Girona noted that the defendant, facing potential loss of joint custody of his son, chose to accept actions he did not fully commit.