The defendant was ordered to pay a fine of 7,200 euros and approximately 12,000 euros in damages to the Generalitat and the Diputación, which conducted the special prosecution for the fire incident. The sanction was established as a penalty in the sentence handed down by the head of the court, reflecting the consequences of the events under review.
In the public accusation, the Prosecutor’s Office sought a four-year prison term for the alleged crime of setting a fire in a protected natural area. The defense, through attorney Israel Muelas Molla, engaged in negotiations before the oral hearing in the Second Chamber, seeking a favorable agreement. The arrangement, along with specific charges, would likely result in a prompt release, given that the accused had been in custody since his arrest on June 22 of the previous year for the incident at Sierra Helada.
Despite the fire affecting two and a half hectares, the environmental damages were assessed at 179 euros, according to the defense counsel’s calculations and position in the case.
three projectors
On the facts admitted by the accused in the Second Part of the Trial, the events occurred on June 22, 2022, when the individual allegedly set fire at three different points by applying an open flame with the purpose of destroying the natural area of Mirador de Sierra Helada in Benidorm.
Even with a strong westerly wind present that day, the defendant started a fire in close proximity to several homes. The fire was eventually brought under control, but not before it burned two and a half hectares of low brush and some scattered pine trees.
Arrested by regional police, the suspect was found carrying a backpack containing lighters and other tools associated with starting a fire, which were seized at the time of the apprehension.
Extinguishing the fire in Sierra Helada was recorded in images and reports, illustrating the emergency response and the challenges faced by firefighters in protecting nearby residences and natural habitats.
During the investigation, authorities noted that the cause of the fire could not be definitively determined. The accused did not acknowledge guilt prior to the trial, and no explicit medical or cognitive impairment was identified as a factor in the incident.
Although a date of May 31 was initially set for the expulsion, the court decided that the defendant should remain in prison until departure abroad. The accused is originally from Scotland, and by May 31 he would have spent eleven months and six days in custody, which represents nearly a third of the sentence of up to three years that had been imposed by the court.