French boxer Xabier Moingeon, a long-time resident of Valencia, accepted a sentence on Monday of two years and nine months in prison for attempted strangulation of his neighbor last June. Authorities say he used a butane cylinder as a ram to force his way upstairs and confront the neighbor about the noise. The man convicted of attempted murder had originally received an eight-year sentence, but a settlement led to a substantial reduction. His defense even requested a suspension as an exceptional measure after civil liability was settled and there were no computable records supporting continued imprisonment. (Attribution: Valencia County Court, Fifth Chamber)
The defendant, 51, founder of a boxing school in the Monteolivete district, filed the criminal case with the Fifth Chamber of the Valencia County Court on Monday. He allegedly tried to kill the neighbor who opened the door carrying a knife. After seizing the knife from the neighbor, he struck her with force on the head. When the neighbor fell, he reportedly wrapped his forearm around her neck and attempted to strangle her with his other hand. If police had not intervened at that moment, the defendant might have deadly consequences on the scene. (Attribution: Valencia County Court, Fifth Chamber)
A butane cylinder used as a ram
The incident occurred on 2 June 2021 at about 4:30 pm on a farm on Pere Aleixandre street in València. The accused reportedly went to the neighbor’s home to address the noise, raising his voice in distress and then attempting to force the door open by swinging a butane cylinder like a ram. (Attribution: Valencia County Court, Fifth Chamber)
Surprised by police as he attempted to strangle the accused, the neighbor faced the threat of death close at hand
The 64-year-old woman opened the door, trying to keep her distance from the assailant after arming herself with a kitchen knife for protection. The assailant, leveraging his martial knowledge, managed to wrest the knife from her grasp and struck her head with a powerful blow. (Attribution: Valencia County Court, Fifth Chamber)
Fortunately, the moment the incident began, the woman activated an aggression alert by dialing 112 from her neighbor. Multiple National Police patrols responded swiftly, converging on the residence and interrupting the crime as the defendant was found attempting to strangle his victim. (Attribution: Valencia County Court, Fifth Chamber)
The court recognized mitigating circumstances to offset some of the damages. The defendant was ordered to pay 7,140 euros out of a total 8,000 euros in civil liabilities. Mental illness linked to alcohol consumption also influenced the verdict. The sentence delivered is two years and nine months in prison, with seven years of probation, and a ten-year ban from approaching or communicating with the victim at distances under 500 meters. (Attribution: Valencia County Court, Fifth Chamber)