A Moroccan man, 34, was unanimously found guilty on Thursday by a jury of murdering his uncle with hatchets at a residence in Albatera, where both lived with other relatives and fellow countrymen. After hours of deliberation at the Elche court, the jury found the defendant guilty of murder with premeditation. The court did not rule on the cruelty aggravating factor after the prosecution withdrew that charge, and the jury recognized the mitigating circumstance of confession.
Following the verdict, the prosecution lowered its initial request from 25 years to 16 years in prison. The defense, represented by lawyers Eloy Ferrández and María Mallebrera, adhered to the sentence proposed by the Public Prosecutor, who ultimately did not seek compensation for the mother and siblings of the 39-year-old man murdered by his nephew. The defense presented, during the first day of the trial, a document signed by the family renouncing any form of economic compensation and stating that they forgave the accused for the crime.
The presiding judge of the jury must now issue a sentence in line with the prosecutors and the defense and the verdict delivered by the jury.
One of the issues also included in the verdict and requested by the defense is that the accused, who was living in Spain in an irregular situation, be expelled to Morocco after half of the sentence is served. The jury showed support for the expelled outcome for the defendant.
Murdered with Hatchets
The crime occurred around 9:30 in the morning on January 24, 2022, in a residence in Albatera where the defendant and the victim shared a room and resided with other relatives and compatriots.
According to the prosecutor, acknowledged by the defendant in the trial, the two were alone in the dwelling that day. The accused exploited the trust he had as his nephew to attack him by surprise, stabbing and striking him repeatedly with two axes and a knife until death. The victim sustained about thirty wounds from blades and, after death, the head was nearly severed in an effort to dispose of the body, though the defendant argued that he decapitated him out of fear that the victim would wake up.
He then cleaned the various rooms of the house with bleach and detergent until, after a coworker raised the alarm, the Albatera Local Police surprised him.
No Prior Dispute
The convicted defendant stated in court that there was no prior argument with his uncle and emphasized that the previously good relationship deteriorated due to cocaine and cannabis use. He claimed that both the night before the crime and on the day itself, he consumed alcohol and drugs and that this caused him to lose control.
He added that he was afraid, picked up a hatchet he often uses in the fields, and began delivering blows, mainly to the face and the head.
Forensic experts explained to the jury that the victim sustained six fatal hatchet blows to the head and that the defendant was aware of his actions and did not suffer from any mental illness.