Man faces 24 years in prison for killing his mother-in-law with a hammer
A man who has confessed to killing his mother-in-law with a hammer in her home in San Mateo, Gran Canaria, will stand trial next week before a jury in Las Palmas, more than two years after the brutal attack shocked the community. The assault took place on 13th September 2023 inside the family’s terraced home, where the accused lived upstairs with his wife and daughter while the victim lived on the ground floor.
The Canary Islands High Court confirmed that the prosecution and defence may try to reach a last-minute agreement, although the Public Prosecutor’s Office is still demanding a severe sentence: 24 years and eight months in prison for murder and robbery. Alongside the prison term, prosecutors want the man to pay €80,000 to each of the victim’s children, and €11,000 to her brother. This amount represents his inheritance share of the €22,000 allegedly stolen.
According to the case file, the accused knew his mother-in-law had withdrawn the money after the death of her husband, and waited until she was out to force his way into her home shortly after 1 pm. His plan collapsed when she unexpectedly returned around 20 minutes later. What happened in those moments remains unclear, but what is not disputed is the violence that followed: the prosecution says he struck her on the head with a hammer, then continued to hit her repeatedly in the back of the skull with the clear intention of killing her.
After she collapsed on the floor, the man allegedly rifled through her handbag and then tore through the bedroom, eventually finding the €22,000 hidden in an envelope among the bed linens. He left her lying in a pool of blood and left the house, carrying the cash and a bag filled with coins.
The body was discovered later that night by a neighbour who happened to be a national police officer. He entered the house through the back door after family members became worried when she failed to answer her phone. The officer found that the glass in the door was shattered.
After his arrest, the accused admitted entering the home to take money and acknowledged hitting the victim once with a hammer when she caught him inside. However, he has never admitted stealing the €22,000, despite the prosecution’s detailed reconstruction of the events.
The trial is scheduled to begin next week in Las Palmas, where a jury will hear the evidence and determine whether the man will face one of the longest sentences sought in recent years for a domestic murder in the Canary Islands.
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