The man prosecuted for an alleged attempted murder after allegedly setting his ex-partner on fire in Vigo in September 2024 has stated before the court that he "does not remember" what happened, although he pointed out that afterwards he "regretted it" upon realizing he had done "something bad" and that for this reason he telephoned his cousin to turn himself in to the Police.
These statements were made during the oral hearing held this Tuesday in the fourth section of the Provincial Court of Pontevedra. The accused, who faces a request for almost 22 years in prison, recounted that the previous day he crossed paths with the victim in a cafeteria, although he "did not speak" with her "nor approach" the young woman.
According to his version, that night he consumed alcohol and various drugs, including cocaine and pills, and barely slept three hours. When questioned by his defense attorney — he refused to answer the other parties — he insisted that he does not remember what he did upon waking up, even though the events took place around 08:00 AM, nor does he remember going to the woman's home or being with her that morning.
However, he did state that, later, he went to a bar, from where he called his cousin to turn himself in because he became aware that he had done "something bad." When asked if he felt remorse at that moment upon learning what had happened, the defendant replied that "yes."
Before going into the details of the events, the man described the "toxic" romantic relationship he had with the victim, whom he described as "very possessive and jealous." He recounted that they both lived in a property owned by his family and that, when they argued, she was the one who left, emphasizing that he did not kick her out or go looking for her afterwards.
The accused also acknowledged a prolonged consumption of substances since the age of 14, including cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. He explained that he was under psychiatric monitoring, although he did not always attend appointments. He also stated that he had spent a month in a detoxification center and that on "two or three" occasions he had attempted to take his own life.
After his testimony, the victim gave her statement, which was done behind closed doors. After her intervention, several acquaintances and family members of the young woman appeared as witnesses, recounting that they found her with a large part of her skin burned at the entrance of the home.
The victim's nephew stated that he was the first to see her, next to a hose with which she was trying to put out the flames. He recounted that he was sleeping when the screams woke him up and that, upon looking out the window, he saw his aunt asking for help. He then returned inside the house to notify his parents; his mother is the young woman's sister.
The victim's sister explained that, seeing the state she was in, she put her in the car and immediately took her to the hospital, located less than a kilometer from the family home. She indicated that the young woman, due to her severity, told her: "He killed me." She added that the initial prognosis was very serious and that the doctors warned them that she might not survive the burns.
Almost two years later, according to her testimony, the woman barely leaves home due to the significant physical after-effects she suffers from and the psychological disorders resulting from what she experienced.
Prosecutor's Office Classification and Account of the Relationship
The events took place in September 2024. The Public Prosecutor's Office's indictment attributes to the accused a crime of psychological injury, a crime of harassment, and a crime of attempted murder with treachery and cruelty. For these, it claims sentences of 5 years, 2 years, and 14 years, 11 months, and 29 days in prison, respectively, in addition to payment of compensation exceeding 670,000 euros for the after-effects caused to the victim.
The Prosecutor's Office states that the romantic relationship began when she was 22 years old and he was 34, both residing in a home in Vincios, in Gondomar (Pontevedra), at least on weekends. During their cohabitation, according to the public ministry, arguments were frequent because she assumed both the economic burden of the household and domestic chores, as she had greater job stability.
"During their cohabitation, he habitually belittled her with expressions such as 'you are retarded, mongoloid, pig, lazy,' and to resolve the argument, the accused opted to throw her out of the house," the indictment states, adding that, after expelling her, the accused would ask her to return.
The relationship ended when the young woman decided to put a definitive end to it in May 2024. From then on, always according to the accusation, the defendant "sought from that moment on her attention, approach, and/or proximity with the purpose of winning her back (as he had done throughout the relationship in moments when the couple had temporary breakups)".
The attack with gasoline and fire
To achieve this contact, the accused allegedly resorted to requesting her friendship from different social media profiles and showing up at both the establishment where she worked and at cafes she frequented. Finally, on September 14, he allegedly went to the victim's family home, in the Viguese parish of Valladares, where, according to the Prosecutor's Office, he tried to burn her alive.
The document maintains that on that day he waited for her at 8:00 AM, and that when she left the house, he grabbed her by the ponytail from behind and told her "come here, now you're going to find out." The victim tried to break free by moving her body, while he, without letting go of her hair, delivered several knee strikes to her face and ordered her to "stay still," with the aim of further reducing her chances of defense.
"Next, once the defendant managed to douse her with gasoline, he pushed her, she fell to the ground, and he told her 'goodbye,' lit a lighter, and set her on fire, aware that, in this way, he would cause his former romantic partner terrible suffering, deliberately and unnecessarily increasing the physical and psychological pain she would endure, with the clear and sole purpose of ending her life," the public ministry details.
The woman finally managed to get a hose with which she doused her entire body and asked for help from her nephew and her sister, who took her to the hospital. As a consequence, she suffered second and third-degree burns over a large part of her body surface.