A witness with a hidden name saw an attack on a murdered man in Figueira da Foz

A hidden witness told the Coimbra court this Thursday that he witnessed the attacks that led to the death of a man in Figueira da Foz last August and identified some of the five accused.

This Thursday, the Coimbra court began sentencing the father and three sons of Figueira da Foz, who are accused of killing a man and hiding the body in 2022, while another son is also accused of failing to provide assistance.

The father and his three children are charged with one count of murder and one count of desecration of a corpse, while another son is charged with failure to render aid and possession of a prohibited weapon.

At the first hearing of the trial, the defense demanded that two witnesses with suppressed data, called for this Thursday, be questioned in person.

However, the panel of judges decided to conduct the hearing via teleconference with distorted voice and image “for safety reasons related to life and not just their physical integrity.”

The teleconference testimony took place in a public building, accompanied by a judge appointed for the purpose, who was responsible for identifying and swearing in the two witnesses and ensuring the confidentiality of their identities.

After the first witness said he recognized the older defendant’s “big van” and said he saw two youths put the 32-year-old victim into the vehicle, a second witness, also with suppressed information, provided more details about the incident. attacks he witnessed from where he was.

He told the Coimbra court that he saw two young men grab the victim and put him in a van, from which he twice tried to escape.

Falling to the ground after the second attempt to escape, the man allegedly screamed for help and asked to call the police, after which two young men punched and kicked him.

The witness said one of his sons later got out of the van behind the driver, whom he identified as his father and the owner of the vehicle, and hit him with a stick.

He also said another son approached the truck, carrying a baseball bat, but did not attack him.

The victim, “who was no longer screaming” and “not struggling like before,” was eventually put back into the van, which eventually drove off with the driver and three other men.

During the day on Thursday, three inspectors of the judicial police (SP) of the Center’s directorate, who participated in the investigation and detention of the suspects, were also interrogated.

The five accused, four of whom are in pre-trial detention in Porto prison, chose not to testify at this stage of the trial.

Another son of the senior accused was also arrested in connection with this murder in October of this year; he was also suspected of committing the crime of qualified murder and desecration of a corpse.

The trial will continue on November 23.