Andorra Court Hears Bar Terrace Van Scratch Dispute

A court in Andorra has heard a case involving minor property damage after a dispute on a bar terrace in Pas de la Casa escalated into a police intervention and arrest.

The incident unfolded on 8 May 2023, shortly before 6pm, when the defendant was drinking beer and whisky at an outdoor café. A woman parked her recently imported German van—still awaiting local registration—in an unauthorised spot directly in front of the bar while briefly stepping away to collect a key from a nearby building.

The defendant objected, shouting that the vehicle was blocking parking and casting a shadow over her sun. When the driver returned, a visible scratch marred the van's side panel. Asked if she was responsible, the defendant turned away without responding and called the police.

Officers who arrived described the defendant as agitated and uncooperative, leading to her detention primarily over insults directed at them—offences that have since prescribed. She denied scratching the vehicle, insisting she never left her seat and attributing her hazy memory to alcohol consumed that Sunday and Monday.

Her friend, a key witness, testified that while she stepped away to the bathroom, the defendant admitted to the act, reportedly saying, "Now it'll be me who scratched it, how about that." Prosecutors highlighted the remark as incriminating, though the defence stressed the absence of forensic evidence, such as paint traces on keys seized from the defendant.

Police confirmed the scratch appeared fresh and noted several witnesses implicating the defendant, but conceded they were not experts and could not verify material links.

In closing arguments, prosecutors dropped the initial charges related to the insults and sought a two-month suspended sentence for the damage offence alone. The hearing concluded with the case pending a ruling amid conflicting accounts clouded by alcohol consumption.