Former Feira judge convicted of threatening GNR officer

A former judge expelled from the judiciary was sentenced to a fine of 1,500 euros for threatening to kill a GNR soldier, according to a ruling by the Porto Court of Appeal (TRP), seen this Monday by Lusa.

The Feira Court's ruling, dated October 2024, has now been confirmed by the TRP, which dismissed the appeal filed by the former judicial magistrate.

The former judge, a native of Santa Maria da Feira, in the district of Aveiro, was convicted of aggravated threats and sentenced to a 100-day fine, at a daily rate of 15 euros, totaling 1,500 euros.

The events took place on the night of April 28, 2021. The Court found that the defendant and another individual started an argument with the owner of a restaurant in Santa Maria da Feira, who refused to serve them alcoholic beverages.

The GNR was called to the scene and when one of the officers approached the defendant to ask for his identification, because he refused to move the vehicle, which was badly parked, he showed him his professional card from the Superior Council of the Judiciary, telling him that he was messing with a "shark" and that he would wear the uniform but not for long.

The defendant also threatened to kill the officer, referring to the high-profile case of the Aguiar da Beira murderer: "Haven't you ever heard of the Pedro Dias de Arouca case? Don't you remember what he did to the Guards and that couple? Look, maybe the same thing could happen to you, and it might not take long."

The appellate judges had no doubt that the defendant wanted to frighten the victim with a future attack on his life and that the expressions used and the analogy with the case of Pedro Dias “were suitable to provoke fear or concern in him, despite his duties and his habit of dealing with problematic situations and people.”

The former magistrate was stationed in Santa Maria da Feira until he was compulsorily retired in 2015 by the Superior Council of the Judiciary, for having conducted procedural acts while appearing to be drunk or under the influence of medication.

Prior to this case, the former judge was sentenced to pay a fine of 4,000 euros for assaulting a couple , and, in another case, he was given a 15-month suspended prison sentence for a crime of dangerous driving of a road vehicle, a crime of disobedience and another of aggravated defamation.