The Supreme Court upheld the sentence of up to 11 years in prison of 13 defendants charged with house breakings at residences in several northern districts.

The Oporto District Attorney General’s Office states that “it has been proven that the accused were aware of the absence of the inhabitants of the dwellings at the time of local festivities or events of family life announced, namely baptisms, weddings and funerals.

As for funerals, the defendants consulted the necrology pages of the newspapers.

The main defendant was sentenced to 11 years in prison for 19 felonies of qualified theft, a crime of detention of a prohibited weapon and a crime of arms trafficking.

Three other defendants were also sentenced to imprisonment for eight and a half years, seven years and three years and four months.

Of the remaining seven defendants, five were sentenced to suspended prison sentences and two sentenced to work in favour of the community.

These penalties were applied by the Tribunal of Braga and later confirmed by the Court of Relation of Guimarães and now by the “Supreme”.

The facts that motivated the convictions happened from February 16, 2013 to October 14, 2014 and reported on house breakingss, essentially houses of residence, carried out in the towns of Povoa de Varzim, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Braga, Vila Praia de Âncora, Viana do Castelo, Santo Tirso, Guimarães, Vila Verde, Vizela, Monção and Barcelos.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office estimates that goods and amounts have been stolen in an amount in excess of €326,000. Source Jornel de Noticias