The Court of First Instance and Instruction number 3 in Puerto de la Cruz has decided to release a man accused of properly punching another individual, aged 59, on a central street of the municipality on March 16. This assault ultimately led to the victim’s death after three days in the hospital due to injuries sustained from the fall.
According to the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC), the individual under investigation must appear before the court every 15 days. His passport has been confiscated, and he is prohibited from leaving the national territory.
The magistrate has not yet determined the classification of the events during this initial phase, pending the results of several pieces of evidence. It still needs to be ascertained whether there was intent in the alleged homicide, as stated by the TSJC.
The incident took place on the evening of March 16 when the victim was returning home accompanied by a friend after leaving a pub. They went to the car to retrieve some keys before taking a taxi.
At that moment, according to the family’s account, they encountered a group of young individuals. One of them, without uttering a word, struck the man, causing him to fall. After hitting the ground, he was in a critical condition and died days later in the hospital.
Fran was 59 years old and had been managing family businesses for many years in La Portuense Calle La Hoya, including the renowned Tasca Simpson and La Cantina, which the family has owned since 1975. His sister emphasised that it is nearly impossible to find anyone who has a negative word to say about him or his life since the tragedy became known. His family, in their desperation, has repeatedly sought assistance to get to the bottom of this incident.
