Threats and insults directed at a supermarket employee by a customer from Santa Eulària, Ibiza, have moved up to the Second Section of the Balearic Provincial Court, showing how the dispute progressed from a local Ibiza case to a higher provincial review. [Citation: Palma Provincial Court, Palma de Mallorca, 2023]
The Palma de Mallorca judicial body rejected the appeal after the Ibiza Investigating Court No. 1 handled the matter, upholding the conviction issued by the Ibiza court for a minor offense of threats. This confirmation by the higher court marks the continuation and finality of the court process in this matter. [Citation: Palma Provincial Court, Palma de Mallorca, 2023]
The facts cited by the Provincial Court trace back to early last year, when the two women began to clash repeatedly during routine shopping at a well known supermarket, creating a pattern of friction in everyday life at the store. [Citation: Palma Provincial Court, Palma de Mallorca, 2023]
Case records show the relationship between the customer and the employee was uncomfortable and marked by several disputes. During those episodes, both sides exchanged insults and demeaning language, a pattern of heated exchanges rather than isolated incidents. [Citation: Palma Provincial Court, Palma de Mallorca, 2023]
In early March last year the employee reported the incident against the customer. After the complaint reached authorities, the defendant went to the workplace to threaten her, shouting, “you will hear from me, you wretch, liar.” The confrontation caused distress and fear, and the employee did not respond with any counter threats. The customer then filed a complaint against the employee, and the case moved through Ibiza’s court system. [Citation: Palma Provincial Court, Palma de Mallorca, 2023]
Investigating Court No. 1 delivered its decision on 2 April 2023, finding a minor offense of threats. The court absolved the supermarket employee of the charges brought by the customer while convicting the complainant of a minor offense of threatening, a nuanced outcome that reflected different accountability for each party. [Citation: Palma Provincial Court, Palma de Mallorca, 2023]
The sentence ordered the customer to pay a penalty of 30 days of fines at six euros per day, totaling 180 euros. In the event of non payment, a subsidiary personal liability of one day of imprisonment for every two unpaid installments was established. The structure demonstrates how monetary sanctions can carry a custodial substitute even in minor offenses. [Citation: Palma Provincial Court, Palma de Mallorca, 2023]
Because the offense was considered minor, the penalty could be satisfied through permanent location monitoring, as explained in the judgment. Additionally, the court ordered the defendant to cover the costs arising from the judicial process through which she was found guilty. This outcome underscores how financial responsibility and procedural costs are treated as part of sanctions and accountability. [Citation: Palma Provincial Court, Palma de Mallorca, 2023]
Appeal Denied
The supermarket customer subsequently appealed to the Palma Provincial Court, which concluded that the arguments presented relied on her version of events and did not overcome the employee’s account. The court emphasized that the appeal depended on evaluating personal evidence, and the employee’s account appeared more credible given that two witnesses backed her version. [Citation: Palma Provincial Court, Palma de Mallorca, 2023]
The judicial body also noted that the appeal sought to revisit the evidentiary assessment already completed in the lower court, a matter addressed by the May 17 ruling. The Provincial Court stated that the costs of this second proceeding would be borne by default, and it found no malice or bad faith in the filing of the appeal. [Citation: Palma Provincial Court, Palma de Mallorca, 2023]
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