The Alicante Provincial Court has handed down a sentence of twelve years and six months of internment in a penitentiary psychiatric hospital for a 43-year-old man who attempted to stab a random fellow man to death in Urbanova during a psychotic episode. The defendant has been acquitted of the crime due to a mental anomaly excusing responsibility, and the court has ordered his admission to a psychiatric institution for up to twelve and a half years, followed by a supervised liberty period of ten more years.
The ruling, issued by Section Ten, notes that the defendant, represented by lawyer Maria Angeles Román, must compensate the victim with 83,760 euros for injuries and aftereffects, with the private prosecution led by lawyer Valentin Quiroga Martinez of the Quiroga Sánchez firm.
According to the proven facts in the sentence, the incident occurred on the afternoon of May 30, 2023. At the moment of the stabbing, the defendant had lost his voluntary and intellectual capacities due to pathological anxiety and psychotic symptoms stemming from a chronic paranoid schizophrenic disorder and a cluster B personality disorder, compounded by poor treatment adherence and drug use.
Intent to take a life
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The accused stood near a ruined shack in the dunes between Urbanova and Arenales del Sol and carried out the attack with the clear aim of ending someone’s life. He wore a knife concealed under his clothing and approached a 68-year-old man passing through the area. He asked for a cigarette, then, after inquiring about the victim’s family, suddenly grabbed him with one hand and drew the blade with the other, stabbing him in the neck and chest.
The victim collapsed, and the defendant tried to strike the blade into the man’s forehead, causing the knife blade to snap. The victim managed to break free and fled toward the road to seek help. The defendant pursued him, attempting another stab from behind, but failed to reach him. After leaving the scene, the defendant called the police and confessed to the events.
The victim sustained serious physical injuries and psychological trauma. During the trial the victim interrupted his testimony several times because he can now only produce vocal sounds for communication after the attack.
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The psychiatric internment was requested at the trial last week by the Public Prosecutor, the private prosecution, and the defendant’s defense, who acknowledged in the oral hearing that he had not taken his schizophrenia medication and stated that he was not in his right mind.