On 14 September 2016, Biel Llull, a policeman with the Palma force, was knocked off his bicycle by a drunk driver near to Sineu where he lived. He was out riding with his son at the time. He died as a result of the accident.
The driver, a French woman, was allowed to give the "last word" at her trial yesterday. Between sobs, she said that she recalls the accident every day. She asked the family for forgiveness.
The prosecution has maintained its call for a sentence of three and nine months. A private prosecution wants a longer sentence of four years. The woman, the prosecution says, acknowledges that she had consumed a "huge amount of alcohol, which prevented her from handling the vehicle correctly". Tests showed her to have been almost four times over the limit. It was stated in court that a bar owner refused to serve her and a friend because they were already drunk.
The lawyer representing the family, Diego Wencesblat, said that he was sceptical of the apparent repentance shown by the accused. He believed that she was shedding crocodile tears and that she had lied at all times. "She has been putting on an impressive theatrical performance."
The lawyer insisted that she has been trying to avoid criminal responsibility as much as possible. He reminded the judge that it is not she who is the victim, but the relatives of the deceased. He also questioned the amounts paid by means of compensation. No evidence had been presented to show that these equated to "her life savings".
Wencesblat went on to explain that Biel Llull's young son suffers from nightmares because he had seen his father die in front of him. The woman and her companion, he noted, tried to confuse police at the time of the accident regarding who had been driving the car.
The defence have called for a seven-month sentence. The woman had handed over everything she had saved with her partner. If there has been a delay in paying compensation, this is because she has been in prison.