The Civil and Criminal Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of the Region of Valencia (TSJCV) has reduced the sentence for threats to a woman who was found not guilty of hiring assassins to kill her husband’s mistress in Denia (Alicante), now considering that there are mitigating circumstances caused by the undue delay in bringing the case to court.

The accused, who is identified as SRC, must now serve a year and nine months in prison, a year less than the sentence imposed by the Alicante Court following the jury’s verdict that the accused was aware of the sentimental relationship of the victim with her husband as a result of which she visited her home in Denia and warned her that if he did not finish the relationship, “she would kill her.”

In addition, there were several telephone calls to the lover bearing similar threats, and on one occasion the accused followed the lover in her car, forcing her off the road. However the court did not consider it proven that the wife hired two people who, in exchange for money, agreed with a third party to end the life of the lover.

However, the High Court accepted that in this case there were mitigating circumstances caused by undue delays and that the defendants right to obtain a resolution within a “reasonable” period was violated.

The accused was arrested on June 29, 2011, one year and one month after the events took place, remaining in prison until December 14 of that year.  However, the trial was not held until March 2017.