A jury at the Provincial Court of Murcia has found Michael guilty of negligent homicide in the 2022 death of his wife, Vanessa, in Mazarrón. The verdict rejects the murder charge sought by prosecutors and Vanessa’s family, who argued that he killed her in a gender-based attack.
Seven of the nine jurors considered Michael’s account more credible: he said he accidentally struck Vanessa with a car as she got out to open the gate to their home. The jury did not find it proved that he beat her to death, citing the absence of signs of violence on his body or clothing and a lack of evidence of a struggle on Vanessa’s clothes.
The verdict differed from testimony by the medical examiner who performed Vanessa’s autopsy. She said her injuries were not consistent with an accidental collision. A Guardia Civil inspector also said he found no marks, blood or other evidence linking the car to the incident. However, the jury gave greater weight to reports prepared for the defence by a forensic expert and a criminologist, who considered the injuries compatible with a vehicle impact. Neither had examined Vanessa’s body or the scene.
Vanessa had reported her partner six times, in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015, and was listed in Spain’s VioGen register of victims. Her case was inactive in 2022. She and Michael, who were 52 and 69 at the time, had moved to the Camposol development in Mazarrón only days before her death in December 2022.
The sentence is expected to be issued in the coming days. The judge is expected to impose the maximum four-year prison term for negligent homicide. All parties, including Michael, accepted the proposed verdict. He has been in pretrial detention since the night of the incident and has almost completed that term. His lawyer said his release could be imminent, citing possible sentence reductions for delays to the trial and an €11,000 payment towards compensation for Vanessa’s family.
Sources: El País Sociedad.