British man convicted of road rage murder in Estepona will serve 20-year prison sentence

The High Court of Justice of Andalucía has ratified the jail sentence of the British man who stabbed 19-year-old Ulrich Perez to death following a road traffic dispute in Estepona on 18 November 2020. The Supreme Court of the Junta de Andalucía (TSJA) has rejected the appeal of the defence team for Lewis Briggs and has confirmed the sentence of 20 years in prison, as handed down by a provincial court in Malaga in October 2024.

On the day of his death, Ulrich had gone to the supermarket in Estepona to buy detergent. At a pedestrian crossing, he exchanged a few words with Lewis, who had braked sharply, and ran after the vehicle when it drove off again. A minute and a half later, Lewis returned in pursuit of the young man, grabbed a knife from the glove compartment, kicked him in the chest and stabbed him in the torso.

Ulrich's family waited four years for the man accused of killing him to sit on the bench and hear his sentence. During the first session of the trial, the defendant admitted committing the act, but maintained that it was a mistake and that he had no intention of ending the teenager's life. He also stated that he had not slept the night before the crime and that he had consumed alcohol and drugs.

The "surprising" and "unexpected" attack resulted in a puncturing of the heart that caused a haemorrhage, which ultimately led to Ulrich's death. According to the trial investigation, the culprit left the scene and swapped the two number plates on the car.

He then fled to England by plane via Portugal, where he remained a fugitive, until he was captured on 22 December 2020 - one month and five days after the crime. Once arrested, he admitted the crime and was transferred back to Spain.

It was established that Briggs was a heavy user of cocaine, alcohol and anxiolytics at the time of the incident. In addition, he suffered from a dissocial personality disorder linked to adult attention deficit disorder (ADD). However, the court found that during the assault "his faculties of understanding and volition were not affected by these circumstances".

The judge sentenced the accused to 18 years in prison for committing murder, with the mitigating circumstance of repairing the damage, as the defendant deposited 50,000 euros into the court account to cover the compensation that could be owed to the victims. Additionally, he was sentenced to two more years for a minor offence of theft in conjunction with the use of false documentation.

The defence team filed an appeal, which the Supreme Court of the Junta de Andalucía has now dismissed, finding no facts that prove the existence of an incomplete exoneration or mitigating circumstance of mental disorder or drug addiction.

Ulrich's mother, Tatiana, who is of Nicaraguan origin, arrived in Spain 23 years ago, when Ulrich's older sister Abril was only eight months old. Shortly afterwards, Ulrich was born. His father named him Ulrich after the drummer of Metallica, his favourite band.

The couple separated a few years later and Tatiana - a domestic worker by occupation - started a relationship with a Spanish cook. He helped her raise her children and together they had little Dylan, who will not be able to meet his brother. Tatiana's family is very integrated and appreciated in Estepona.