The Supreme Court has upheld a 24-year prison sentence for a man convicted of murdering his partner by pouring gasoline on her and setting her ablaze in September 2020 in La Laguna, Tenerife. This act of gender-based violence occurred on September 23, 2020, at 3:30 a.m. in a residence in the Princesa Iballa urbanization in La Laguna.
Following a heated argument, the man set the victim on fire, leading to her death the following day at the Canary Islands University Hospital due to second and third-degree burns covering 85% of her body, along with internal injuries from smoke and heat inhalation.
The verdict establishes that the perpetrator carried out the murder intentionally, leaving the woman defenseless due to his physical dominance, as they were alone in the house.
It is also noted that he acted with the intent of causing death, without being under the influence of any substances, and had previously subjected her to derogatory and humiliating treatment.
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Court sentenced him to 24 years in prison for the crime of murder, with aggravating circumstances of treachery and cruelty, as well as factors of kinship and gender bias.
In addition to the prison term, a payment of 75,000 euros to each of the deceased’s two daughters was imposed, along with a 10-year restraining order upon completion of the sentence, a decision upheld by the Superior Court of Justice in the Canary Islands.
The Supreme Court has now affirmed the conviction, citing the “overwhelming” evidence against the accused, including witness testimonies of his verbal abuse towards the victim on the night of the incident and in the days leading up to it.
The explosion that occurred alerted neighbours, who rushed to the apartment upon hearing the victim’s cries for help, stating that the accused intended to kill her.
The jury considered the aggravating circumstances of “deceit, kinship, cruelty, and contempt based on gender,” as highlighted by the high court.