Story By: Georgina Jadikovska, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
A Portuguese man has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Switzerland after the court found him guilty of murdering his wife and teenage son by firing 30 gunshots at them.
Bricklayer Americo Reis, 53, from the Portuguese city of Santa Maria da Feira, will be jailed for life after he was declared guilty for killing his wife Anabela Cruz, 42, and his 18-year-old son whose name was not disclosed on Monday (23rd August).
The incident, where Reis fired 30 gunshots at the two members of his family, occurred in the municipality of Payerne located in the Swiss canton of Vaud on 25th April 2018.
Local media reported that the couple lived together in Switzerland for 16 years along with their two children, then aged 13 and 18, before Anabela who was physically and psychologically abused by her husband for years decided to leave him.
Reis had reportedly lost his reason when Anabela decided to separate and moved to live alone in an apartment near the train station, where she was joined by their 18-year-old son who supported the separation.
The Public Prosecutor reported that several days before the tragedy, the murderer had sent several insulting messages to the woman to which she did not respond.
Enraged by the turn of events and jealous of not being able to affect her, Reis went to Anabela’s apartment armed with a gun and two magazines one evening where he encountered her with their son.
He then reportedly shot a total of 30 bullets during the heat of the arguments, some of which caught the 18-year-old who tried to defend his mother from the attack.
After committing the crime, Reis turned himself in to authorities where he admitted what had happened in an interrogation process that took over five hours to complete.
Reis was arrested and charged with murder by the Public Prosecutor’s Office a short while later.
During the trial on Monday (23rd August), the Court of Renens located in Switzerland agreed with the public prosecutor’s charges and sentenced Reis to life imprisonment.
The 53-year-old will additionally have to pay compensation costs for moral damages of around CHF 60,000 (GBP 48,000) to the victim’s family.
Reportedly, the public prosecutor described the husband as “jealous and possessive” and stated: “He didn’t just fire anywhere. He aimed for the head, chest, and abdomen. He fired long and methodically.”
Court President Donovan Tesaury said: “His actions were brutal and extremely monstrous. The last thing the boy heard was the mother being killed, the shots fired by the father. For her, it was clear that he would kill his son.”
According to the Penal Code of the Renens Court also ordered the defendant’s expulsion from Switzerland for 15 years if he is ever released.
