A high-profile murder trial in Malaga has been postponed after one of the defendants was shot just hours before he was due to appear in court.
The case, which was set to be heard before a jury at the Audiencia Provincial de Malaga this week, has now been pushed back until at least November following the shooting in Pizarra.
The 35-year-old accused was hit by two bullets on Monday night in the area of Zalea and had to be rushed to the Hospital Clinico de Málaga for treatment.
Emergency services were alerted via 112 after reports of a man injured by gunfire, prompting a rapid response from the Guardia Civil, Local Police and paramedics.
Trial halted at the last minute
The hearing had already faced disruption the day before when the same defendant reported attending hospital, but the situation escalated significantly once it emerged he had been shot.
The Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Andalucia confirmed the trial has now been suspended, with proceedings unlikely to resume for at least six months.
Deadly Marbella shooting at centre of case
The trial relates to a fatal shooting in Marbella in 2019, in which three men stand accused of murdering one victim and attempting to kill another.
Prosecutors allege the murder was premeditated, with the suspects meeting beforehand to plan the killing.
According to the prosecution, one of the accused shot the first victim dead, while another fired at a second man multiple times, hitting him in the shoulder, leg and abdomen.
The survivor required extensive medical treatment and took almost a year to recover.
A third defendant is said to have played a key role in coordinating the attack and maintaining contact with the others both before and after the shooting.
Facing decades behind bars
The public prosecutor is seeking sentences of up to 37 years in prison for each of the three men, charging them with murder, attempted murder and membership of a criminal group.
Two of the defendants also face additional charges of illegal possession of firearms.
