7 years in prison for killing a thief who broke into a farm in Inca to steal marijuana

PalmThe Balearic Islands Provincial Court has sentenced a man to seven years in prison for killing one of the thieves who broke into his property in Inca intending to steal marijuana plants. The three thieves who were with the murdered man were each sentenced to one year in prison, according to the Balearic Islands High Court (TSJIB).

The sentence comes a week after a jury found the four alleged thieves guilty of the respective crimes with which they were charged. The presiding judge of the jury court sentenced the owner of the property to seven years in prison and ordered him to pay €157,875 in compensation as the alleged perpetrator of a homicide. In his ruling, the judge argued that, given the victim's fear and confession, the sentence should fall within the lower range. The prosecution had requested a six-year prison term, although they initially sought 15 years. The private prosecution had requested a higher sentence, arguing that the acts should be classified as murder, but the jury rejected this argument, finding neither cruelty nor premeditation. The thieves, as determined by the jury, conspired to carry out the robbery in which one of them was killed; they planned and executed it. The three defendants were therefore sentenced to one year in prison for attempted robbery. The events occurred on September 24, 2020, when four people went to a house in Inca with the intention of stealing marijuana plants. The three defendants remained outside to keep watch while the other entered the property. The latter entered the house through a hole in a metal fence erected on top of the wall surrounding the property, at which point he was surprised by the owner, who, during a struggle, stabbed him several times, killing him. The sentence is not final and can be appealed to the Civil and Criminal Chamber of the High Court of Justice of the Balearic Islands.