Andorra 'Hammer Robber' Trial Ends, Sentencing Scheduled for June 17

**Andorra's 'Hammer Robber' Trial Concludes, Sentencing Set for June 17**

The Corts Tribunal has wrapped up the trial of the man dubbed Andorra's "hammer robber," with a verdict due on June 17.

Prosecutors demand six and a half years in prison plus €5,000 compensation for the 24-year-old Andorran from Encamp, charged over incidents in the early hours of August 23, 2025. Around 4:15 to 5:45 a.m., he struck the tourist office door in the Plaça del Consell twice with a hammer, entered a private garden, then stormed a nearby hotel. There, masked with a cap, glasses, and scarf, he confronted the receptionist behind the counter, brandished the hammer, seized nearly €900 from the register, and forced the worker outside to retrace his path on hands and knees before fleeing.

Footage from security cameras tracked his route comprehensively. Police identified and arrested him less than two days later near the scene, without incident. He confessed immediately, cooperated fully during a search of his father's home—where he had stashed the cash and small amounts of cocaine—and admitted most charges: qualified robbery with a weapon, attempted burglary with force, attempted break-in to an occupied home, and minor drug possession and use.

The defendant, recently back from Valladolid for family matters and paperwork, had gone out drinking with friends. He described downing six beers, eight glasses of liquor, shots, and cocaine, triggering impulsive rage tied to untreated grief over his mother's fatal car crash, job loss, and ended orphan's pension. A psychiatrist found his reasoning impaired but not erased—no distant planning, though he had armed himself and dodged some cameras. He denied financial desperation. Now on provisional detention for eight months, he has shown sincere remorse, flawless treatment adherence for depression, ADHD, and anger issues, and pledged to continue.

His lawyer seeks three years total, with the time served counting as the firm portion, framing the acts as substance-fueled post-traumatic breakdown rather than calculated theft.

The veteran receptionist, with over 20 years on the job, testified to feeling "violated" in his once-secure workplace—a career first. He endured acute stress and fear, now overcome via therapy, resilience, and humor. Though he left court early, he accepts the apologies via his lawyer and wishes no recurrence.