A Lagoa resident, who killed stabbed his boyfriend to death and partially buried the body, has been handed a 24-year prison sentence from judges in Portimão court.
The 31-year-old man was found guilty of murder, theft and document forgery.
The facts date back to February 28, 2017, when the defendant confronted his boyfriend, João Marcelino, a 56-year-old history teacher at the Escola Rio Arade in Estômbar, and stabbed him 26 times in the neck and head.
"Then, with a spade, he covered the victim's body with earth. He then took the dead man’s car, falsified a transfer of ownership document and registered the vehicle in his own name," said the prosecutor.
The assailant, Joaquim Guedes, wanted to end the relationship, which had not gone down well with the teacher whose body was found, partially covered with earth to the side of the Lagoa access road to the Via do Infante motorway.
Correio da Manhã reported at the time that Marcelino was found, naked from the waist up, “with his trousers and pants down to the ankles.”
The defendant was arrested and presented to court on 10 March 2017 where the judge said he could await trial at his home as he did not present a flight risk.
This decision successfully was appealed by the Public Prosecution Service and Joaquim Guedes has been held in detention since April 2018.
Guedes confessed to the attack but due to the savagery of this needless assault, a full sentence was demanded by the State prosecutor - and was given.
