Canary Islands Court Upholds 11-Year Prison Sentences for Violent Eviction Attackers
The High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands has upheld an eleven-year prison sentence for two men convicted of attempted murder during a violent, extrajudicial eviction in Tenerife.
The High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC) has upheld an eleven-year prison sentence for two men linked to an eviction company, setting a major legal precedent regarding how property recovery is handled. The court confirmed the original ruling from the Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which classified the men’s actions as attempted murder with treachery, rejecting defense claims that the evidence was insufficient.
The incident occurred on February 14, 2020, in Chayofa, Tenerife, and serves as a stark warning about the dangers of using extrajudicial force to evict occupants. According to court records, the attackers ambushed the victim outside his home, striking him in the head with an iron bar. When the victim’s daughter tried to intervene, she was also attacked. The assault continued even after the victim was defenseless, involving kicks and strangulation.
The judges concluded that the attackers clearly intended to kill, noting that they targeted vital areas of the body and used repeated, calculated violence. The victim suffered severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, broken ribs, and a collapsed lung, requiring emergency surgery and leaving him with permanent damage.
The TSJC rejected the defendants' appeals, which had challenged their identification and the presumption of innocence. The court upheld the conviction based on witness testimony, surveillance logs, and evidence gathered by the Civil Guard. In addition to the prison time, the men must pay 250,000 euros in damages to the primary victim and 1,000 euros to the second victim. They will also face ten years of supervised release and are subject to restraining orders.
The court has also ordered an investigation into potential perjury during the trial. This ruling reinforces the stance of the Spanish judiciary: disputes over property possession never justify the use of violence. Regardless of a property's legal status, the courts have made it clear that they will severely prosecute any attempt to bypass the law through physical force.