Three men have each been sentenced to five years in prison by the Audiencia Provincial de Castellón after being found guilty of attempting to kill a man with a screwdriver on a busy city avenue. The attack took place on September 18, 2024, in Castellón, in Spain’s Comunitat Valenciana, and left the victim with a traumatic brain injury and multiple puncture wounds. The court also imposed a six-year restraining order barring the attackers from approaching or contacting him.
The incident occurred at around 19:00, as the victim walked with his partner along a central avenue. The court found that the three assailants approached intending to kill him, or at least knowing their actions could be fatal. One attacked from behind, shouting, “You can do it from behind too,” while stabbing the victim with a star screwdriver and striking him on the head. The victim tried to escape, but the group caught up with him and knocked him to the ground. They continued the assault there and stole his mobile phone.
Medical reports said the man suffered a traumatic brain injury and several puncture wounds. His recovery took 90 days, and he was left with two permanent scars on his head. The court ordered the three men to pay €40,000 jointly for the physical and psychological consequences, plus €399 for the stolen phone. Each was also fined €240 for petty theft, bringing the combined compensation and restitution to €40,399, on top of the individual fines.
The defendants had paid €6,600 to the victim before trial. The court treated this as partial reparation and a mitigating factor, while also recognizing an aggravating circumstance based on the attackers’ numerical advantage and the way they carried out the assault. The verdict followed an agreement between the prosecution and defense.
The six-year order bars the convicted men from coming within 500 meters of the victim or any location connected to his home or daily routine. It also prohibits them from communicating with him by any means. The case was heard by the Audiencia Provincial, a provincial court that handles serious criminal proceedings. The Consejo General del Poder Judicial (CGPJ), Spain’s governing body for the judiciary, maintains the official judicial portal, which provides access to judicial news and jurisprudence.
Castellón has seen several high-profile legal cases in recent years, raising concerns about urban safety and judicial responses to violent crime. In other Spanish regions, recent legal actions, including the halted smuggling tour in Galicia, have drawn attention to the balance between law enforcement and public interest. The issue featured in a report on Galician authorities blocking a controversial boat tour.
In this case, the court’s sentence reflected both the partial compensation paid before trial and the aggravating circumstances it identified in the attack. The prison terms came with a compensation order and theft fines, while restrictions were imposed to prevent further contact with the victim.
