Prison Sentences for Lanzarote Gang That Posed as Police During Brutal Home Raid

The Canarian High Court of Justice has upheld almost all of the prison sentences imposed on the gang responsible for a violent home invasion in San Bartolomé in January 2016. The group, made up of eight people including the attackers and their accomplices, posed as police officers before carrying out a prolonged assault, torture, and robbery.

In a judgment written by Judge Antonio Doreste, appeals lodged by three of the convicted defendants were dismissed and they were handed sentences ranging from 5 to 18 years in prison. The convictions include attempted murder, robbery with unlawful detention, possession of prohibited weapons, and membership of a criminal organisation.

The court described the attack as exceptionally serious, noting that the main victim was tortured for around two hours. During the ordeal, he suffered repeated beatings, multiple fractures, electric shocks to his genitals, and other acts of extreme cruelty.

According to the ruling, the crime was carefully planned rather than spontaneous. The gang carried out surveillance beforehand, assigned specific roles to participants, rented vehicles, used disguises to impersonate law enforcement officers, and brought equipment to restrain their victims. The judges concluded that the group had an organised structure on the island and worked together to prepare and execute criminal activities over time.

The High Court also rejected arguments that the attempted murder conviction should be reduced to a lesser offence. It ruled that the level of violence used demonstrated eventual intent to kill, while also finding sufficient evidence to support the conviction for operating as a criminal organisation, citing its stability, division of responsibilities, and ongoing criminal purpose.

One Partial Appeal Allowed

The court partially accepted the appeal of one defendant after finding that the charge of membership of a criminal organisation had been withdrawn during the trial. As a result, that conviction and the associated sentence were overturned for that individual alone, while all of the remaining convictions were upheld.

The court reaffirmed the Provincial Court’s findings of fact, which state that at around 8:30 a.m. on 18 January 2016, four members of the gang entered the victim’s home while pretending to be officers carrying out a search linked to an alleged money laundering investigation.

The attackers tied up the homeowner and his partner before subjecting the homeowner to severe torture, including electric shocks to his genitals, in order to force him to open a safe. They stole three watches, jewellery, and other valuables before fleeing the scene.

The victim’s injuries were so severe that he died two months later.

In its judgment, the TSJC remarked that the prison sentences imposed were “lenient” given the seriousness of the offences. The court highlighted that one defendant, convicted as an accomplice, had 11 previous convictions, including one for murder. It also noted that the alleged ringleader had seven previous convictions, one of which related to the same murder case.