A man of German nationality was sentenced to 25 years in prison for two crimes of qualified murder and desecration of a corpse that occurred on the island of Pico in the Azores in 2022, the Lisbon Prosecutor General’s Office said on Wednesday.
According to a note published on the website of the Regional Prosecutor General’s Office of Lisbon, the defendant of German nationality was sentenced by the Central Civil and Criminal Court of Angra do Heroismo to “a penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment for the commission of a real competition, two crimes of qualified murder, two crimes of desecration of a corpse and one offense of possession of a prohibited weapon.”
The woman, also a German national, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for two offenses of desecration of a corpse and one offense of possessing a prohibited weapon.
The couple were also sentenced to “an additional sanction of deportation from the country” of 25 years for the man and seven years for the woman.
According to the PGDL note, the victims, residents of Pico Island, were two men, ages 65 and 74, who were killed “at the home of the accused on September 10, 2022.”
The men were reportedly visiting land they intended to purchase next to the home of a German citizen accused of killing them and burning their bodies.
The detainee, who initially pleaded guilty, later changed his testimony, saying that he was under pressure from the police, and declared his innocence.
During the arrest of the suspects, the judicial police announced that they had “collected evidence” that the two missing men were victims of “murders with subsequent concealment of the bodies,” with suspicion falling on a man of foreign nationality. living near the place where the car used by the victims was parked.
According to police, during a search of the suspect’s home, “two legal firearms were seized, as well as several illegal weapons, namely a boxer with a blade attached to it, several daggers and a silencer compatible with the weapon.” fire.”
In sentencing the defendant to the maximum prison term in Portugal, the court took into account “the seriousness of the acts committed, namely the desecration and destruction of two corpses, the possession of several prohibited weapons and the aggravating circumstances of the murders.” a statement that highlighted the “particular depravity and depravity of his activities,” PGDL pointed out.
The court also emphasized the “high level of illegality of the facts, the very strong and persistent intention that over time led him to commit crimes and the disappearance of two bodies, while nothing stopped him,” as well as “the position of the accused during the trial who denied committing the crimes without showing any regret.”
As for the woman, the punishment took into account “the obvious calculation and composure with which she acted without showing the slightest remorse”, as well as “a very strong and persistent intention over time, which led her to the disappearance of two corpses without achieving anything.” ” it was removed.”
According to the Lisbon Regional Prosecutor General’s Office, “the accused is awaiting a final decision on the issue of preventive detention.”
The investigation was led by the São Roque do Pico Division of the Department of Investigation and Criminal Affairs (DIAP) of the Azores, with the assistance of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Judicial Police of the Azores.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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