A fingerprint discovered on the baseboard of a window has linked the suspect to the theft of £54,000 from a single-family home in San Juan de La Rambla. This crucial piece of evidence is being used by the Prosecutor’s Office to seek the conviction of the defendant.
During the trial held on Monday at the Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, experts confirmed that the fingerprint matches the accused by 12 points, exceeding the usual 10 points required to determine authorship.
Therefore, the Public Ministry stands by its demand for the accused to return the allegedly stolen money and serve a four-year prison sentence for the burglary, along with compensating for the missing jewellery and damages caused to the property, once their value is determined.
The incident occurred on April 27, 2017, after the homeowner left the house at 10:30 a.m.
The defence argues for the accused’s acquittal, claiming ignorance about how his fingerprint ended up at the scene, suggesting that many others with similar prints could be found across the island.
He contends that his visits to the vicinity were limited to picking up his brother from school on Mondays and Fridays, implying that the instance of his fingerprint could have been accidental.
The defence asserts that there is insufficient evidence to undermine the presumption of innocence.
The accused has a criminal record comprising four convictions totaling five and a half years in prison for similar offences. He attributed the timing of these events, post the burglary, to his struggles with substance abuse.
The homeowner recounted how his daughters alerted him to the open window and the ransacked interior, suspecting someone familiar with his schedule, leading him to consider an employee of his construction company.
He explained the presence of the substantial sum in the house as part of the payroll for his nearly 200 workers, some of whom collected their wages from the residence. However, he disavowed any knowledge of the accused and denied ever hiring him.
At the time, the house lacked theft insurance, and to date, none of the stolen money has been recovered.
The civil guard uncovered footprints and commenced a visual inspection the following day, prompted by the significant amount of cash that had gone missing.
Alongside the accused’s fingerprint, other prints were found, but their ownership was never established, according to the experts’ confirmation.
The Prosecutor’s Office alleges that once inside the residence, the burglar targeted the master bedroom, where he stole a safe containing £47,000 in cash, another £7,000 from a closet, and various pieces of jewellery.
