Canarian Weekly
30-11-2012, 12:40
THE trial of an Irishman accused of murdering a Tenerife ferry steward in 2010 has opened, with the defendant retracting previous statements made to police in which he confessed to the killing, saying he was tortured into making the confession.
Keith Burke (21) is accused of murdering Abraham Baez (24) during a fight in Playa de Las Américas. According to the state prosecutor Angel García Rodríguez, Burke stabbed his victim in the neck with an eight-inch knife, severing a major artery and causing his death almost instantaneously. The pair are said to have come to blows when their girlfriends got into a petty argument after the Irish couple were accidentally struck by a car door.
Burke’s former girlfriend, Sara Stuart (30), is also on trial at the Criminal Court inSanta Cruz, on the lesser charge of causing head and facial injuries to Mr Baez’s partner Laura Negrín.
Burke, who was 18 at the time of the alleged murder, has been on remand in aTenerifeprison since his arrest in April 2010, while Stuart was released on bail in February 2011.
Under cross-examination from Ms Stuart’s lawyer, Burke admitted he had written letters to her while they were in jail and had told her that he “deserved to serve 15 years for what he had done”. However, he said he had only made the written confession to help her.
The pair attacked the Spanish couple in the street after a 10-hour alcohol binge, the jury was told.
State prosecutor Garcia Rodriguez told the jury, “What started out as a simple argument ended with Abraham Baez dead with a knife in his neck and Laura Negrin injured by a stone.”
The prosecutor claimed Burke knifed 24-year-old Abraham “with the intention of ending his life”, and said the Irishman should be jailed for 17 years for murder.
The accused couple were returning to their apartment after a night out in Playa de lasAmericaswhen the fight broke out at 6am on April 10th, 2010. Burke had downed at least 10 drinks, including beer and vodka, while his girlfriend had drunk a bottle of wine, 10 vodkas, beer and shots.
The Spanish couple, who had been on a night out with friends, had drunk at least 10 whiskies each, the court heard.
The fight broke out outside the Hotel Tropical Playa when Negrin opened a car door, accidentally banging it into Stuart, the jury was told.
Prosecutors say there was a fist fight before Burke went off to the couple’s apartment, returning with a kitchen knife that had a four-inch blade.
Baez collapsed in a pool of blood after being stabbed in the left side of his neck. The blow severed his carotid artery, and paramedics were unable to revive him.
Negrin told the court she was knocked out by a blow to the head with a blunt weapon. She added, “When I came around, Abraham was lying on the ground”.
Burke denied stabbing Baez and told the court he had been attacked by the Spaniard.
He said, “I took a knife out with me because Playa de lasAmericasis a dangerous place.
“But that night it never left my pocket and I never stabbed anybody. I just remember being beaten around the back of the head. There was blood everywhere, dripping down my back”.
Stuart also claimed she had been attacked and denied striking Negrin with a stone.
She told the court, “The girl opened the car door and knocked me onto the ground.
“She got out of the car and we fought. She hit me and I hit her back. But I didn’t hit her with a stone.”
The court was told Burke wrote daily letters to Stuart from his prison cell, occasionally confessing to the crime.
He wrote, “I killed him but only in self-defence” and “I will be sentenced to 15 years and, to be honest, I deserve it.”
Mr Burke told the court he was lying in the letters to make Stuart feel better, because he was in love with her. They have since split up.
Burke has been on remand since the tragedy. State prosecutors originally charged Stuart with murder but dropped that charge. They now want her jailed for three years for assaulting Negrin.
The trial continues
More... (http://www.canarianweekly.com/murder-trial-irish-couple-opens/)
Keith Burke (21) is accused of murdering Abraham Baez (24) during a fight in Playa de Las Américas. According to the state prosecutor Angel García Rodríguez, Burke stabbed his victim in the neck with an eight-inch knife, severing a major artery and causing his death almost instantaneously. The pair are said to have come to blows when their girlfriends got into a petty argument after the Irish couple were accidentally struck by a car door.
Burke’s former girlfriend, Sara Stuart (30), is also on trial at the Criminal Court inSanta Cruz, on the lesser charge of causing head and facial injuries to Mr Baez’s partner Laura Negrín.
Burke, who was 18 at the time of the alleged murder, has been on remand in aTenerifeprison since his arrest in April 2010, while Stuart was released on bail in February 2011.
Under cross-examination from Ms Stuart’s lawyer, Burke admitted he had written letters to her while they were in jail and had told her that he “deserved to serve 15 years for what he had done”. However, he said he had only made the written confession to help her.
The pair attacked the Spanish couple in the street after a 10-hour alcohol binge, the jury was told.
State prosecutor Garcia Rodriguez told the jury, “What started out as a simple argument ended with Abraham Baez dead with a knife in his neck and Laura Negrin injured by a stone.”
The prosecutor claimed Burke knifed 24-year-old Abraham “with the intention of ending his life”, and said the Irishman should be jailed for 17 years for murder.
The accused couple were returning to their apartment after a night out in Playa de lasAmericaswhen the fight broke out at 6am on April 10th, 2010. Burke had downed at least 10 drinks, including beer and vodka, while his girlfriend had drunk a bottle of wine, 10 vodkas, beer and shots.
The Spanish couple, who had been on a night out with friends, had drunk at least 10 whiskies each, the court heard.
The fight broke out outside the Hotel Tropical Playa when Negrin opened a car door, accidentally banging it into Stuart, the jury was told.
Prosecutors say there was a fist fight before Burke went off to the couple’s apartment, returning with a kitchen knife that had a four-inch blade.
Baez collapsed in a pool of blood after being stabbed in the left side of his neck. The blow severed his carotid artery, and paramedics were unable to revive him.
Negrin told the court she was knocked out by a blow to the head with a blunt weapon. She added, “When I came around, Abraham was lying on the ground”.
Burke denied stabbing Baez and told the court he had been attacked by the Spaniard.
He said, “I took a knife out with me because Playa de lasAmericasis a dangerous place.
“But that night it never left my pocket and I never stabbed anybody. I just remember being beaten around the back of the head. There was blood everywhere, dripping down my back”.
Stuart also claimed she had been attacked and denied striking Negrin with a stone.
She told the court, “The girl opened the car door and knocked me onto the ground.
“She got out of the car and we fought. She hit me and I hit her back. But I didn’t hit her with a stone.”
The court was told Burke wrote daily letters to Stuart from his prison cell, occasionally confessing to the crime.
He wrote, “I killed him but only in self-defence” and “I will be sentenced to 15 years and, to be honest, I deserve it.”
Mr Burke told the court he was lying in the letters to make Stuart feel better, because he was in love with her. They have since split up.
Burke has been on remand since the tragedy. State prosecutors originally charged Stuart with murder but dropped that charge. They now want her jailed for three years for assaulting Negrin.
The trial continues
More... (http://www.canarianweekly.com/murder-trial-irish-couple-opens/)