Brazilian Student Sentenced to 21.5 Years for Stabbing Death of Andorran Teen in Portugal
A Braga court convicted Brazilian Matheus Marley Machado of stabbing unarmed Andorran student Manu to death outside a university bar, imposing a lengthy sentence and compensation amid family grief.
Key Points
- Portuguese court in Braga sentences Matheus Marley Machado to 21.5 years for murdering 19-year-old Manuel de Oliveira Gonçalves.
- Machado must pay €220,000 to victim's parents, €7,000 funeral costs, and face 5-year expulsion from Portugal.
- Attack occurred outside University of Minho bar after dispute over suspected drink spiking; three fatal stab wounds inflicted.
- Defence plans appeal; judge cited futile motive and lack of remorse from Machado.
A Portuguese court in Braga has sentenced Brazilian national Matheus Marley Machado to 21.5 years in prison for the murder of 19-year-old Andorran student Manuel de Oliveira Gonçalves, known as Manu. The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, also requires Machado to pay €220,000 to Manu's parents and nearly €7,000 for funeral expenses, plus a five-year expulsion from Portugal after serving his term. The family had sought €750,000 in compensation.
The incident occurred in the early hours of 12 April 2025 outside Bar Académico at the University of Minho. Court findings confirmed Machado inflicted three fatal stab wounds on the unarmed victim following a dispute that began inside the bar. Manu had confronted a member of Machado's group over suspicions they spiked a young woman's drink, leading tensions to escalate outside where Machado, armed with a knife, advanced and attacked.
Presiding judge Sónia Martins highlighted the "futile motive" behind the crime, noting Machado's intent to kill despite having the option to leave. The court criticised Machado's lack of remorse, as he chose not to testify during the trial. Prosecutors proved the charges fully, rejecting the defence's claims of self-defence or a lesser offence.
Manu had relocated to Braga with his family—longtime Pas de la Casa residents—to study at Escola Secundária Dona Maria II. The case drew intense media attention in Portugal and Andorra, with widespread support for his relatives amid profound grief in both locations.
Machado's defence has announced an appeal to the Tribunal da Relação de Guimarães.
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