A 53-year-old Irish national has been sentenced to more than 10 years in a Spanish prison after confessing to the homicide of his landlord in Barcelona. The defendant, identified only by his initials in pre-trial documents, admitted to the crime during the first day of his trial in the Catalan capital.

The crime and Confession

• The Arrest: The Irishman was apprehended in December 2022 after the victim’s dismembered remains were discovered in Barcelona.
• The Charge: He was formally accused of homicide.
• Guilty Plea: he pleaded guilty to homicide and desecration of the victim’s body.
• The Sentence: he received a 10-year prison sentence for homicide, plus an additional three months for defiling the body.

Details of the Incident

According to prosecutors, the victim, a German man identified as Alex R., was killed just two days after subletting a room to the defendant in a seventh-floor apartment on Calle Casanova, a central Barcelona street. The accused allegedly dismembered the body and disposed of the parts around the city over several days.

My work involves going through the rubbish and when I saw the black case I thought I had found something good. When I opened it up to see what was inside I was hit by a terrible smell, which at first I thought was rotting meat a bar had thrown out or remains of food. It was only when I pushed the zip back a bit further I saw it was a body.

Chiprian, Scrap Dealer

Chiprian, a scrap dealer, made the grim revelation of the victim’s torso in a suitcase near the apartment.I informed a kiosk owner I know who was in the area and told him to look inside as well and he thought at first it was a mannequin, Chiprian added, recounting the moment he realized the suitcase contained human remains.

Examination and Arrest

• DNA Identification: Alex R. was identified through DNA testing.
• Initial Suspects: Initially,both the Irish tenant and a Ukrainian national were arrested. The Ukrainian national was later released on bail and never charged.
• CCTV Evidence: Footage from a nearby garage and a bank across the street was instrumental in the Irishman’s arrest.
• Proximity: The waste container where the torso was found was only 15 meters from the apartment building where the homicide occurred.

The Killer’s Claim

Following his arrest, the defendant claimed the incident was the result of a fight and that he did not intend to kill Alex R. he got into a fight with his victim and didn’t intend to end his life when he hit him, the report stated. Further details were not disclosed during the trial due to the plea bargain.

victim’s Family

Authorities are currently attempting to locate the victim’s sister, believed to reside in Iran, to determine if she wishes to pursue compensation.