
A Liverpool man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for murdering a fellow expatriate on holiday island Majorca.
Richard Roberts, 36, was convicted of murdering Birmingham-born Daniel Hastelow, 26, who worked as a barman in the popular resort Magaluf.
Danny Hastelow was found dead after being stabbed eight times in his apartment in January 2008.
On 13th January, Danny had spent the night celebrating his 26th birthday, up until his brutal murder in the early hours.
Richard Roberts' sentence was made public today by the provincial court in Palma, Majorca’s major city.
Judge Eduardo Calderon Susin, sentencing, also ordered Roberts to pay 90,000 euros – about £82,500 – in damages to Mr Hastelow’s parents and a quarter of the legal costs.
The jury ruled that Richard Roberts, murdered Mr Hastelow, by inflicting eight stab wounds to his chest, hitting vital organs including his liver and heart.
At his four-day trial, Roberts admitted stabbing Mr Hastelow, claiming it was self-defence.
But the jury rejected his claim he grabbed a knife from a table to defend himself when Mr Hastelow attacked him, delivering heavy blows.
They convicted Roberts of murder, rejecting a defence plea for a manslaughter verdict.
Another Liverpool man, Paul Anthony Griffiths, 23, was acquitted of the murder.
It was alleged Griffiths beat the victim with a baseball bat as he lay sleeping in an apartment on the island’s south coast.
Griffiths admitted being present when Mr Hastelow was killed, but denied taking any part in his death.
The jury also dismissed a charge against both accused of breaking into the apartment where Mr Hastelow died.
Roberts and Griffiths were also living in Magaluf, an official at Palma’s provincial court said.
Mr Hastelow’s sister, Claire Peters, wrote on the website, Justice For Danny: “On January 13, 2008, my brother Danny was murdered in his apartment in Spain. He had gone out to celebrate his 26th birthday.
“This celebration ended in tragedy at 4.30am in the morning when he was brutally attacked and killed while in his apartment.”
She added: “Danny did not deserve to die like this.”
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