Breaking: Dos Santos killer gets 22 years!

According to the jury's vote there was no self-defense on the part of the accused...

Ricardo dos Santos was a well-loved Brazilian surfer cut down in the prime of his life by an off-duty police officer’s, or maybe soldier’s, gun. The great Beren Hall just released a movie about and it was as wonderful as it was moving.

But would his killer be prosecuted for the crime? Just in, from Brazilian source Waves, it appears he has and to the tune of 22 years! Let’s read a translation!

After a two-day trial, the popular jury of former military police officer Luís Paulo Mota Brentano, accused of killing Ricardo dos Santos, in January, 2015, ended Friday night in Palhoça (SC).

Brentano was sentenced to 22 years in prison under an initially closed regime. The defense’s request was a maximum sentence of 34 years for triple-homicide homicide.

According to Diário Catarinense, Mota was already detained at the 8th MP Battalion in Joinville since the beginning of the process and, by decision of the judge, should now be transferred within five days to a joint prison.

The former PM was also sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment in a semi-open regime for a traffic crime (he drove under the influence of alcohol on the day of the events) and loss of the right to drive for five months.

Also according to the Diário Catarinense, because it is a decision in the first instance, there is a possibility of appeal by the defense. The defendant’s claim is that the shots were fired because the surfer had threatened him with a machete after disagreements.

According to the jury’s vote, however, there was no self-defense on the part of the accused.

The crime happened on the morning of January 19, 2015. At the time, Mota and his brother were in a car, parked in a place where the surfer and grandfather would do a drainage work, when there was discussion and the then police officer fired two shots Against the surfer, who died in hospital the next day.

After the shots, the soldier escaped, being later located in an inn of Guarda of the Embaú. On September 11, Mota was officially expelled from the Military Police and arrested in a battalion of Joinville, where he awaits the trial of justice.