The man who killed his son-in-law with a sledgehammer in Cerdedo, Botica, saw the Supreme Court toughen his prison sentence. Antonio Gonçalves, 56, will now have to serve 16 years and six months in prison for the June 2021 murder of Manuel Pereira, 48.
According to the judgment handed down cm had access, the aggressor, who was originally sentenced to 15 years in prison for simple murder and to pay 140 thousand euros to the victim’s three children and wife, had a disagreement with Manuel over the house he occupied during his visit to Portugal (he was an immigrant). He claimed the property. On the day of the crime, Antonio, “which did not allow him to foresee anything”, armed himself with a sledgehammer (90 cm wooden handle and 22 cm metal block) weighing 4.5 kg, “he went to the bed, where [Manuel] he lay down and, not being able to react or resist, struck him at least two blows in the head area. The victim died in bed, and the assailant was arrested the same day by the SP.
The Supreme now understood that this was a qualified murder, aggravated by one year and six months. This is because the crime was “insidious and deceitful” which exploited the victim’s vulnerability to sleep.
Author: Sergio A. Vitorino
Source: CM Jornal
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