The Pontevedra Court, in accordance with the jury’s guilty verdict, has sentenced 43-year-old José Eirín to 22 years in prison as the author of a murder for deliberately crashing his car into his neighbor’s, 29-year-old Jessica Méndez, which tragically ended her life. The sentence leaves no doubt that Eirín committed the crime, which occurred in the town of Barro in Pontevedra on March 17, 2022, due to the “indifference” shown towards him by the victim. The court appreciates the aggravating circumstance that Eirín committed the crime for reasons of gender and has imposed a restraining order restricting his contact with the victim’s family for 32 years.
The verdict states that the accused intentionally directed his vehicle towards the victim’s, which was parked, waiting to merge onto the N-550 from a secondary road, with a speed of approximately 80 kilometers per hour. This deliberate action left the victim with no chance of defensive reaction, eliminating any possibility of avoiding the collision. Eirín killed Méndez due to her “indifference” towards him, specifically because this “indifference” came from a woman, which led to his decision to cause the collision, according to the judges. The jury found Eirín guilty of stalking the victim for years, which escalated when she began a romantic relationship with her current partner.
The court applied the gender aggravating factor due to the asymmetry in the relationship between Eirín and Méndez, as outlined in the judgment of the Supreme Court 99/19. The guilty verdict reached by the jury is supported by a rational and well-founded assessment of the evidence presented during the trial, as explained by the presiding judge in the verdict. The court also determined that Eirín consciously chose a method to ensure the death of Méndez, which indicates premeditation and a lack of remorse. The sentence is not final and can be appealed before the Superior Court of Galicia.
During the trial, Eirín chose to remain silent and did not testify, claiming innocence and citing his lack of awareness of who was in the other car. His defense lawyer argued that the collision was accidental, caused by temporary loss of vision due to medication for a hand injury. However, the jury and the subsequent sentence rejected this argument. Witnesses, including Méndez’s boyfriend, relatives, friends, and neighbors, testified about incidents of Eirín’s surveillance and stalking of the victim, confirming the deliberate nature of the collision.
The jury deliberated for four days, relying on the testimonies of the 19 witnesses presented during the trial, as Eirín chose not to speak. However, he apologized and expressed condolences to Méndez’s family before the sentence was passed. The crucial testimonies, including that of the Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team (ERAT) of the Civil Guard, detailed the premeditated nature of the collision, based on simulations and analysis of the crime scene. The experts concluded that the driver intentionally caused the collision, ruling out any mechanical or electrical failure of the vehicle, leaving the victim with no chance to avoid the impact.
