14 Nov, 2024 @ 15:00
1 min read

Mallorca businessman, 84, claims he blasted burglar to death in 2018 ‘in self-defence’ during saga that has gripped Spain

Alicante man kills his wife and then turns shotgun on himself during weekend of four domestic murders in Spain

AN 84-year-old man is being retried for killing a burglar after his original acquittal was overturned last year.

A Palma court heard this week how Pau Rigo blasted burglar Mauricio Escobar, 25, in the stomach with a shotgun from point blank range in February 2018.

Mauricio and his twin brother Freddy had targeted the Porreres home of the retired businessman knowing that he kept large amounts of cash in the safe – and it wasn’t the first time they’d struck.

In October 2017, Freddy and the so-called ‘Demon Gang’ had tied Rigo up, forced him to open his safe and made off with €30,000. 

READ MORE: Watch: Dramatic flooding in Mallorca as cars are submerged in water and town is ‘cut in half’

When they returned four months later demanding €200,000 they believed was hidden in his house from selling his business, Rigo, 78 at the time, managed to grab a loaded shotgun.

Mauricio’s defence lawyer has claimed that this shotgun was laid out in ‘preparation’ to kill his clients in a ‘disproportionate’ act.

The original trial in 2023 found Rigo – who claims he acted in self-defence – guilty of manslaughter, but the case has since gone through several legal twists and turns.

The provincial court in Palma annulled the verdict on technical grounds and then decided there had been ‘insufficient evidence’ that Rigo had ‘intent to cause Mauricio’s death’.

READ MORE: Weather warnings for hail, rain and storms across major holiday hotspots in Spain this weekend – including Barcelona, Alicante, Ibiza and Mallorca

However, prosecutors appealed and the Superior Court of Justice of the Balearic Islands ordered the current retrial.

A Guardia Civil officer who responded to the crime scene told the court that he saw ‘I saw a guy lying on the floor and two elderly people inside the house, scared out of their wits and covered in blood.’

Meanwhile, a forensic expert took to the stand surmised that Mauricio had been lunging at Rigo when the deadly shot was fired.

The prosecution is asking for four years in jail for Rigo, who is expected to learn his fate next week.

Click here to read more Mallorca News from The Olive Press.

Walter Finch

Walter Finch, is the Digital Editor of the Olive Press and occasional roaming photographer who started out at the Daily Mail.
Born in London but having lived in six countries, he is well-travelled and worldly. He studied Philosophy at the University of Birmingham and earned his NCTJ diploma in journalism from London's renowned News Associates during the Covid era.
He got his first break working on the Foreign News desk of the Daily Mail's online arm, where he also helped out on the video desk due to previous experience as a camera operator and filmmaker.
He then decided to escape the confines of London and returned to Spain in 2022, having previously lived in Barcelona for many years.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Story

Watch: Flooding in Marbella after red-level rain and hail – as mayor Angeles Muñoz gives update

Next Story

Is YOUR town in Spain at risk from flooding? Consult this interactive map to find out

Latest from Lead

Go toTop