The four defendants involved in the accident that killed the singer Sara Carreira on December 5, 2020 on Highway 1 (A1) will be sentenced this Friday in the Santarém court. The accused, Paulo Neves, did not appear and did not provide any evidence to the court.
Upon arrival, Tony Carreira, the victim’s father, explained that he did not think he would be present at the hearing until Thursday. “But I owe it to my daughter,” he noted. The singer assured that he would not appeal “anything,” regardless of the content of the verdict. “I just came here to understand what happened, but everyone has amnesia,” he emphasized.
In closing arguments, the Office of the Public Prosecutor (MP) asked for suspended sentences of less than five years for the three murder defendants. Paulo Neves and Ivo Lucas are charged with manslaughter by gross negligence, Cristina Branco with manslaughter and Thiago Pacheco with dangerous driving.
In relation to Thiago Pacheco, the deputy defended the imposition of a fine of more than 600 euros. The defendants’ defense disputed the charges and asked for acquittal or reduced sentences. The trial began on October 24 last year.
Reading the verdict
The judge found “all guilty” and sentenced three defendants to suspended sentences: Paulo Neves to three years and four months, Ivo Lucas to two years and four months, Cristina Branco to one year and four months. Thiago Pacheco is required to pay a fine of seven euros per day for 153 days. All defendants face a driving ban: two years for Paulo Neves, one year for Ivo Lucas, nine months for Cristina Branco and one month for Thiago Pacheco.
Despite the dark night, there was no fog in the area, according to CCTV images and eyewitness accounts. The GNR soldier explained that this was a right turn, visibility was 400 meters and there were no obstacles.
The judge stressed that four hours elapsed between the accident and Paulo Neves’s alcohol test, which was a “baffling” situation given that the law states that the test must be carried out as quickly as possible. The court found that at the time of the test the alcohol concentration was lower, which proved the speed (30 km/h) at which Paulo Neves was driving.
As for Cristina Branco, the judge found that the defendant was driving inattentively because she had enough time (eight seconds) and a clear field of vision to avoid Paulo Neves’ car.
After Christina Branco’s collision, eight cars passed the scene, some on the right, others on the left. This leads to the conclusion that there are conditions for Ivo Lucas to be rejected. According to the verdict, the actor was driving inattentively, only noticing the presence of Cristina Branco’s car while Sarah Carreira was screaming. At these words, the victim’s parents lowered their heads.
As for Thiago Pacheco, the court found that the defendant hit Ivo Lucas’ car only because he was trying to overtake him at excessive speed.
Reaction
“In real life, no one goes to jail,” Tony Carreira lamented after the verdict was announced. “Everything is fine. That’s not what I meant at all. Here everyone followed the lawyer’s tactics, the tactics of amnesia,” he emphasized.
According to the verdict, the victim’s father called Paulo Neves “the biggest criminal in the whole film” and criticized the defendant’s absence from court, noting that he did not have the “courage” to appear. “I don’t think it’s normal for the GNR to conduct an alcohol test after four hours,” he stressed, referring to Paulo Neves’ role in the case.
In real life, Tony Carreira’s daughter “is no more,” the singer concluded.
Author: Tanya Laranjo, Deborah Carvalho This Miguel Bravo Morais
Source: CM Jornal
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