The Seventh Section of the Provincial Court of Madrid has imposed a life imprisonment sentence on an individual for the murder of a young man, which occurred in October 2022 outside a nightclub in Fuenlabrada. This attack has been linked to the activities of an organized youth gang.
The court also found the convicted individual responsible for three counts of attempted murder, as well as illegal possession of weapons and possession of a prohibited weapon. The sentence, issued after a guilty verdict by a Jury Court, also convicts another accomplice for the same events, imposing prison sentences for the murder, attempted murders, and weapons-related offenses. A third individual has been convicted of belonging to a criminal organization.
Conversely, the Court acquitted a fourth person involved of murder and attempted murder charges, as it was not proven that they intentionally participated or assumed responsibility for the fatal and injurious outcome of the attack. The judicial resolution establishes that the events were the result of the criminal activity of a youth gang of Latin origin with a presence in the Community of Madrid.
“"The actions of the accused responded to a coordinated and previously planned operation, with a distribution of roles and the use of weapons and vehicles intended to facilitate both the execution of the attack and the subsequent escape."
The proven facts place the incident in the early hours of October 3, 2022, at the end of a concert at the Cañabrava nightclub in Fuenlabrada. The jury found it proven that the main convicted individual, along with a minor already sentenced and another unidentified person, planned the aggression and coordinated the logistics. The participants traveled to the vicinity of the venue in a van with false license plates.
Once the police presence had withdrawn and concert-goers had dispersed, two of the attackers exited the vehicle armed with a revolver and a large machete. The first attack was directed at the victim, who was shot in the head and suffered several machete wounds to the face, dying almost instantly. The court emphasized that the victim had no opportunity to defend himself.
During their escape, the aggressors continued to attack other people in the vicinity, resulting in three individuals being seriously injured, requiring surgical treatment and suffering physical sequelae. The sentence highlights that the attacks were “totally surprising and unexpected,” leading the jury to consider treachery in the actions of the perpetrators. Furthermore, it is noted that the murder and attempted murders were committed within a criminal organization, allowing for the application of the aggravated penalty provided for in the Penal Code.
