Spanish Ex-Chef on Trial in Andorra for Threatening Boss and His Mother with Knife

A 57-year-old Spanish former head chef at a hotel in Sant Julià de Lòria stood trial at the Tribunal de Corts on Thursday for two counts of serious threats involving a bladed weapon. The charges stem from late August 2020 incidents during escalating workplace tensions after 16 years on the job.

Prosecutors outlined how the defendant allegedly threatened his 52-year-old Andorran manager twice. In one episode, during a garden chat with a maintenance colleague, he reportedly said he felt "very unwell" because of his boss and that if he encountered him, he would "slit him open," while displaying a knife and mimicking the gesture. The second occurred in a direct outdoor exchange with the manager's 86-year-old mother, where he allegedly stated, "I'll grab a knife and stab your son," again showing a blade.

The prosecution maintains the threats were credible, supported by witness accounts and police reports, and seeks a 14-month suspended sentence—suspended for four years—plus a €3,000 civil liability payment, split equally between the manager and his mother. Police who intervened weeks later found the defendant remorseful and cooperative, confiscating several weapons.

The defendant denied any intent to harm, admitting only that his boss "deserved a couple of slaps" but insisting knives or shears were standard garden tools, not menacing props. He said his employment ended amicably.

Witness accounts varied. A close colleague and friend recalled the defendant venting anger twice—once in the garden, once in the kitchen—about "slicing" the boss while showing a knife, but dismissed it as a momentary outburst with no real danger in the work setting. "I didn't see him as capable," the colleague said, adding no one's life seemed at risk. The manager learned of the incidents from his mother and a maintenance worker, filing a report out of fear weeks later. The mother recounted the confrontation in detail. Fears were amplified by a September 2020 homicide in Encamp, where a worker killed his ex-boss in a labour dispute.

With six years passed, recollections have grown imprecise, some minimizing the words as heated rhetoric, others stressing their gravity. The court must determine if they posed a genuine threat. A verdict is pending.