Friends of the young people accused of the fatal beating of Samuel Luiz, in the early hours of July 3, 2021 on the Coruña seafront, have placed two of the five accused, Diego MM and Alejandro FG, in the attack on the victim. One of them has stated that he also saw Kaio ASC “carrying his leg with the intention of kicking,” although he has stated that he did not see if it hit or not, the same as stated by another witness who, in his case, said he had seen “movements” on his part. It was in the trial being held in the Provincial Court of A Coruña and in which this witness has also confirmed that he saw previous fights by some defendants but not with the “crowd of people” that day or the blows, he has recognized, to questions, specifically, from the prosecutor about the latter.
In his statement, he has corroborated that after Diego MM thought that the deceased was recording him, he began to attack him and has stated that his then girlfriend, Catherine SB, saw her “grab” the arm of Samuel’s friend when she was trying to help him to put her aside and told her “you don’t matter at all.” However, she has attributed that gesture to trying to reach her boyfriend. Along the same lines, he assured that he believes he heard him “stop, stop.” Furthermore, he has stated that he saw another defendant, Alejandro FG – with whom he had been a friend since he was eleven years old while he was an acquaintance of the others – grabbing Samuel from behind and holding him by the neck, in line with what was stated by two other defendants, but not hitting. Meanwhile, both this witness and another who testified next could not confirm whether Alejandro MR was at the scene of the fight.
Third defendant
Regarding Kaio ASC, the first has assured that he saw him running “carrying his leg with the intention of kicking” but not if it hit. This witness stated that he moved away because, after trying to separate, he considered that “he couldn’t do anything.” Of the accused, who face sentences of between 22 and 27 years in prison for the crime of murder, he clarified, in response to questions from the parties appearing, that he did not see Alejandro MR at the scene of the attack on Samuel nor did he remember if he was at the meeting that took place in the San Diego park after the events. “They talked about what had happened, but I was on the sidelines,” he added.
Along the same lines, another witness has stated that he saw Diego MM “throwing punches and kicks” and Alejandro FG “grabbing the victim by the neck.” It has also corroborated that, subsequently, the persecution took place. “I saw people running and when I arrived, Samuel was on the ground.” “It was a fight, people are going to watch,” he said about the “crowd” of people, which he placed at “more than ten.”
“It looked like they had killed him”
Another witness, Kaio’s partner at the time, also stated that she did not see Alejandro MR and that she saw – in an attack with different moments, according to the accusations – Diego MM, Alejandro FG and another person, a minor already convicted of these same facts, hitting the victim. “When the boy falls,” he maintains that Alejandro FG wants to go “for him” but that one of the Senegalese who tried to help him prevented him. “Kaio was with me, I told him not to get involved,” he stated about another moment of the fight when the deceased fell “collapsed.” “It looked like they had killed him,” he specified.
Regarding the subsequent meeting in a park, he has stated that he believes that Kaio asked what had happened, while he has indicated that he did not see him pick up a phone, alluding to the alleged theft of the victim’s cell phone, which is why, in his case, , 27 years in prison are requested compared to the 22 years claimed for two defendants for murder with treachery and teaching. For two more, it is 25 years when the aggravating circumstance of discrimination based on sexual orientation is applied. In relation to the latter, one of the witnesses confirmed the insult of “faggot” by Diego MM to Samuel Luiz, who was 24 years old when he died.
Another witness, who described the accused as “acquaintances” and of whom he noted that “they were all drunk,” stated about the events that he heard “I’m going to kill you, you fucking faggot” from Diego MM and that there was “a “very big fuss.” Meanwhile, he has indicated that Alejandro MR, when he met him, told him that “something had happened to him with a black man” after some Senegalese tried to help Samuel. “That in the tumult a black man pushed him, there were many people and many people pushing and shouting.” Furthermore, he added that when the victim was collapsed, this defendant asked what had happened and that there was a “group of people” watching what happened until the ambulance came. He considered the events lasted between five and fifteen minutes, of which he said “no one stopped it.”
“Many people unleashed many blows,” he clarified when asked by Kaio’s defense if they saw him intervene. Regarding this, he stated that he saw “movements” but not if it hit anyone. Regarding one of the minors already convicted, he stated that in a park and after what happened, he stated: “We killed him.” In turn, some defense counsel, such as the case of Alejandro FG and Diego MM, have focused their questions on the consumption of alcohol and/or drugs by their clients. Kaio’s girlfriend at the time of the events has defined this defendant as “calm” and without participation in fights. He assured that Catherine was “angry” about what happened. “I don’t remember seeing it,” he added regarding the moments of the attack.
Possible obstruction of justice
Another of the witnesses from the friends’ circle, summoned for Friday and whose testimony was postponed until today, has not appeared after communicating that he would not do so even if a fine were imposed, the trial magistrate reported, who confirmed, therefore, that it will be 600 euros. The Prosecutor’s Office and the accusations – that of the family and exercised by the LGTBI group Alas Coruña – requested that he be summoned again – for an appearance that will be on October 29 – without opposition to this from the defenses and with the possibility of being referred against him a crime of obstruction of justice.
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