Jail for ‘ black widow’ and accomplice
Killers chose location which would prevent victim from being able to effectively call for help
A WOMAN and a man have been sentenced to 22 and 20 years in prison respectively for murdering her husband in Alicante city on August 20, 2018.
Concepción M. V – known as Conchi, aged 47 – was faking paralysis at the time in order to claim invalidity benefit, and was assisted by her supposed carer Francisco P. O, 60, according to state news agency EFE.
She had married José Luis Alonso, a 69- year- old truck driver who lived in Guardamar del Segura, just over two weeks before his death.
The provincial court judgment – which can be appealed – says the accused had arranged to meet the victim in an isolated, open air car park facing the sea at Albufureta to go for a romantic dinner. The killers chose the location in order to ‘ give them an advantage and make it easier to carry out their joint plan to end his life’.
“This would prevent him from being able to effectively call for help, make it difficult for him to defend himself and at the same time ensure their impunity,” said the ruling.
When the victim arrived, the carer attacked him by surprise, stabbing him with a screwdriver or similar item, while she joined in by holding him down and also hitting him.
The attack was witnessed by an off- duty National Police officer, who called for back- up and intervened, albeit too late to save Sr Alonso, who died from one of the injuries to his neck.
The charge of murder was aggravated by premeditation and cruelty, and her sentence was longer due to her relationship with the victim, but requests to apply other aggravating factors were turned down by the court.
As well as the prison terms, the convicted pair must serve an additional five years of supervised release and jointly compensate the victim’s three children with a total of € 150,000.