Valencia man admits stabbing tourist in the back of the neck 'because he couldn't control his aggression'

The report by the psychiatry unit of the institute of forensic medicine in Valencia concludes that, at the time of the attack, the defendant exhibited "behaviour characterised by poor impulse control, aggression and a low tolerance for frustration, associated with the use of narcotic substances and alcohol", which diminished his volitional capacities without entirely nullifying them.

The report, therefore, provided the court with the mitigating factor of mental impairment.

José Antonio T. G. has admitted to the facts and acknowledged that he had no motive for stabbing the woman other than that he was angry and aggressive following an argument that very morning with a member of staff at the support centre for people at risk of social exclusion, which he had visited.

The events took place in the very centre of the city. The defendant had just left the support centre in a highly agitated state. Minutes later, at around 10am, he spotted the Italian tourists and ran towards them from behind, without them being able to notice him.

He took a knife from his pocket and, "unexpectedly and with the intention of killing her", stabbed the 29-year-old woman in the back of the neck. The blade remained lodged in the victim after the handle broke off. José Antonio T. G. then fled, pursued by the victim's boyfriend, who was unable to catch him.

The young woman, with the knife still lodged in her neck, and her partner made their way to the flat on Calle Conde Trénor where they were staying, as they were spending a few days' holiday in Valencia. They then called the Local Police for help. Quickly and without wasting a second, the police took the victim in their patrol car to Hospital Clínico, where she underwent emergency surgery.

Despite the delicate position in which the weapon was lodged, the blade did not damage any major arteries and its removal was a complete success. In fact, the victim was discharged that very afternoon following the surgery and was able to catch a flight back to their home country.

The police arrested the suspect at around 3.30pm that same afternoon, thanks to the description the victim's boyfriend had provided.

The defendant, who had a history of violent behaviour, was facing a ten-year prison sentence, but following the plea agreement his defence team reached, he was sentenced to just three years and ten months' imprisonment for attempted murder.

The court has also ordered him to pay 12,150 euros in compensation to the victim.

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