This Friday will see the ninth hearing in the murder case of Igor Silva, the young man who died from 18 stab wounds during FC Porto’s 2022 title celebrations at the Dragao Stadium.
Marco “Orellas”, Renato Goncalves (Marco’s son), Paulo Cardoso and Diogo “Scio” are in pre-trial detention. Three defendants are still at large: Sergio Machado, Rui Costa and Miguel Pereira.
Son-in-law of “Ears” cried in court
Paulo Cardoso, who is also Orellas’ son-in-law, appears in court for the first time. He cries when he remembers the day of the crime. “I tried to help him [o Igor]but I couldn’t!” he guarantees.
The defendant claims that Marco sent him a message that he was fighting with Igor Silva. Since I already knew that the victim and his brother-in-law had long-standing conflicts, I advised him to try to resolve the situation.
Early in the morning, after a phone call from Marco, he said that he went to the FC Porto stadium because he was worried about his wife and daughter.
“I got there and saw that my daughter wasn’t there. I was worried and just wondering where she was,” he says.
The place was already in chaos. Paulo Cardoso says at one point he was attacked with a box cutter.
“To do what they did to the boy is surreal”: Brother-in-law of “Orelhas” describes the state in which he found Igor Silva
“I see a lot of people and at one point Marco comes down with a shirtless boy. I keep going up and I get there and I see it. [o corpo do Igor]”, he recalls.
As he approached, he asked for an ambulance and tried to disperse the crowd to help the victim, he said. At some point, he vomited due to the state in which Igor was.
“I don’t know what they were going to do there, I was just looking for my daughter. Let it be clear at this trial that I know Igor only by name. I would say he is not like many. They did it and didn’t say anything. I saw a child with his coat unbuttoned and all cut up, and I tried to help him. I hit him in the legs,” he explains.
“Mr. Paulo, find a better excuse”: the judge points out contradictions in the testimony of “Orelhas” son-in-law
After admitting that he hit Igor in the legs, the judge asks him why he did that to a man who had been stabbed. Paulo assured that he did this to see if the young man reacted and to try to understand who attacked him.
“If I had seen who it was, I would have told. No one has the right to take someone’s life. More hits, less hits, more hits, less hits is one thing. Not now. “I’m so sorry, it’s surreal that they did the same thing they did to the boy,” it reads.
Paulo was confronted with the fact that during the first interrogation he stated that he was involved in the attacks on Igor. The defendant justifies this by saying that his previous lawyer advised him to present this version.
“I also didn’t understand the defense he made for me. I wasn’t feeling well at the time and was taking medication. I don’t even know exactly what I said,” he says.
“Mr. Paulo, find a better excuse,” the judge says.
“Sio” will speak again
Diogo “Sio” is expected to testify again at the hearing.
On Thursday, the hearing was marked by statements from the family of Marco “Orellas”, who assured that the accused did not go to the Dragao stadium to attack the victim. “Ears”’s sister even cried in court.
The hearing takes place at the São João Novo court in Porto.
Author: Ana Isabel Fonseca This Ana Silva Monteiro
Source: CM Jornal
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