António Duarte, the man who last year held hostage three people in the Children and Young Persons Protection Commission in Lagos and shot at a policeman, has been sentenced in Portimão to a sixteen years and six months in prison.
According to the state prosecutor’s statement, Duarte was "convicted of attempted first degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and the possession of a prohibited weapon. He also has been convicted for crimes of domestic violence and rape committed over several years against his partner."
The defendant will remain in custody until confirmation of the sentence which he will not be allowed to appeal.
Stonemason António Duarte, 40, armed himself with a sawn-off shotgun, a 7.65 mm pistol and a hunting knife, and went to the childcare commission building in Lagos just after 09:00hrs on the morning of October 5th, 2015.
Duarte (pictured below) took three people hostage for nine hours, eventually surrendering to the authorities at around 18:00hrs after eight hours of tense negotiations.
The first policeman on the scene was hit in the face by flying glass when Duarte shot at him through a closed window.
Armed police from the PSP’s Special Operations Group arrived in force and for the entire day a section of Lagos was cordoned off as officers tried to negotiate the hostages' release.
Duarte demanded to speak to his two young children aged 14 and 15, who were living with their mother under a victim protection programme.
Duarte had been unaware of where they were living and he later was allowed to talk to his kids on the phone, after which he released the hostages - a psychologist, a teacher and an off-duty GNR officer.
