The third session of the trial against the man accused of murdering his ex-partner in Santa Cruz de Tenerife has provided crucial revelations. Four psychologists, acting as experts, have ruled out on Thursday that the accused suffered from amnesia during the crime or was under the influence of drugs. The lethal attack took place on July 29, 2022, in a building near Ramón y Cajal street, where the accused allegedly stabbed the young woman twelve times, suspecting that she was in a relationship with another man after their breakup weeks earlier.
The accused’s defense admits his guilt, but has tried to mitigate the sentence by arguing that his client does not remember what happened and presenting the mitigating circumstance of being a chronic cocaine user. However, the psychologists have refuted these claims, explaining that selective amnesia is not compatible with the use of this type of narcotics. They pointed out that the accused demonstrated meticulous and calculated behaviors when planning and executing the crime, such as following the victim from her workplace to the murder scene.
“He knew what he was doing and could differentiate between right and wrong,” the experts stated during the trial. Additionally, they described the accused as an aggressive person, both verbally and physically, who tried to manipulate evidence for his benefit.
Third day of the murder trial in Tenerife / La Provincia
Evidence and testimonies during the trial
Various pieces of evidence have been presented in the trial, including handwritten notes found in the accused’s home, in which he expressed threats towards his ex-partner. In one of these notes, written weeks after the breakup, the accused warned: “If I see you with someone else, I will definitely kill both of you. It will be a quick and smooth death.”
The forensic experts who testified in the trial detailed the injuries on the victim’s body, finding twelve stab wounds, three of them fatal. The wounds on the left side and chest were the most severe, causing significant bleeding that resulted in an “irreversible shock“. Additionally, there were signs that the victim had tried to defend herself, with injuries on her hands and evidence of blows to the face and body.
Footage of the murder recording and the accused’s arrest
One of the most shocking moments of the trial was the playback of the murder recording, captured by two security cameras inside the building. The jury also saw footage of the accused’s arrest at his home, where the police had to force open the rooftop door to find him in a fetal position, repeating: “What have I done?”.
The recording also showed the accused’s parents, visibly distressed and trying to talk to him before his arrest. In one moment of the recording, the accused’s mother told her husband: “He has done something to Albi“, referring to the victim.
In their conclusions, both the Prosecution and the private prosecutors have maintained their request for 25 years in prison for the accused, as well as the payment of 300,000 Euros in compensation. They have also insisted on the imposition of aggravating factors related to gender and kinship. On the other hand, the defense has requested a reduction of the sentence to 22 years and 6 months, arguing the mitigating circumstance of drug addiction.
