A young man has received a six months suspended jail sentence – and must pay his victim’s family a total of €67,500 – following an ‘escalator prank’ in a shopping centre that went horribly wrong.
Bruno Cruz was just 16 in December, 2014 when he and 17-year-old Diogo Montenegro decided to descend the escalator at newly-opened Alegro mall, in Setúbal, sitting on the handrail.
As Montenegro balanced his way down, Cruz is alleged to have pushed him, causing his friend to plunge what has been reported as both 12 and 17 metres to his death.
It was a tragedy that seemed at the outset to be an accident.
Only after the release of CCTV images – and a lot of legal pressure – was Bruno Cruz finally charged, almost two years later.
Yesterday (Wednesday) he received a suspended prison term, and the order to pay his victim’s family half the amount in damages it was claiming.
The reason for the reduction in damage compensation, said Setúbal court, was that there was “shared culpability” in the accident: 50% Cruz’s and 50% that of Bruno who is alleged to have suggested the prank in the first place.
Justice? According to Lusa, the lawyer for the dead youth’s family thinks Cruz’s sentence is “balanced” but has not decided whether there will be an appeal to up the damages.
Cruz was described as leaving the court through a side door, to avoid reporters’ questions.
Lusa adds that the young man’s defence lawyer has said she will be reading through the ruling and meeting with her client to decide whether there are grounds for appeal.
natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
