Andorra Court Cuts Drunk Driver's Sentence to 6.5 Years in Crash Case

Andorra's Superior Court has reduced the prison sentence of a Spanish man convicted in a cocaine- and alcohol-fueled multiple collision outside a nightclub from nine years to six years and six months.

The partial upholding of the defendant's appeal maintains the classification of the incident as intentional injuries, with criminal liability confirmed for five repeated counts related to the five victims injured in the March 2024 crash. The ruling also upholds convictions for driving under the influence of drugs—coupled with a blood alcohol level of 1.4 g/l—and a lesser penalty for drug possession. The defendant's lawyer had requested a sharper cut to three years of firm time, arguing that his client's heavy alcohol and cocaine intake that night, exacerbated by Andorra's altitude to which he was unaccustomed, should serve as a mitigating factor. The lawyer highlighted that none of the victims died, most suffered minor injuries with no compensation claims, and psychiatric reports described the man as non-violent. He further cited road conditions and crowd density, while the defendant stated he remembered nothing of the events and apologised to the victims' families. He has served 22 months at La Comella prison.

The court rejected a deeper reduction despite these points. In addition to the lowered term, it imposed a 20-year temporary expulsion from Andorra upon release.

The decision marks a significant drop from the initial nine-year sentence but does not meet the defence's more ambitious goal.

Meanwhile, Andorra's Court of Courts has concluded hearings in the 'Operació Llops' cocaine trafficking case, with the prosecution seeking a total of 30 years across four main defendants—eight years each for the top three, and six years three months for the fourth—plus fines up to €200,000 and expulsions. Prosecutors described proven large-scale, prolonged activity, citing intercepted sales of 242-280 grams per key figure, code words like "síndries verdes" for cocaine, home searches yielding up to 137 grams, scales, cash and evidence of Barcelona supply runs. The lead defendant's request was trimmed from nine years due to his confession and cooperation, seen as a reintegration step; he has spent two years in pre-trial detention with no priors. Defences demanded acquittals or cuts to four years, contesting evidence validity, phone interpretations, search legality and family ties including Andorran children; one lawyer even used ChatGPT to challenge message identifications. Tensions ran high, with accusations of prosecutorial bias and prepped police testimony. The case, launched late 2023, also involves four consumers facing three months' conditional night arrest and €1,000 fines each. A verdict is pending.