It would be more correct to use ‘allegedly,’ but as this surprising occurrence actually happened in court and is recorded on security cameras, there is little room for doubt…
The accused had appeared before the judge as the plaintiff in a squabble between two neighbours, and as it was such a run-of-the-mill dispute, no security staff, either private or public, were on duty in the courtroom – had it been a criminal case involving violence, it would have been a different manner.
Suddenly, the plaintiff reportedly launched himself at the judge, getting her in a headlock and brandishing a wooden punching too; i.e., an implement for making holes. Being wooden, it passed through the metal detectors, obviously. It was 10.20h on an otherwise uneventful day at court.
Both because of the suddenness of the attack and because it was absolutely unexpected, those in the room took several seconds to react. One of the said reactions involved somebody running out of the room to summon the Guardia Civil policeman on duty at the entrance.
The Public Prosecutor, recovering from complete disbelief, joined in the melee to free Her Honour; a woman around 40 years of age, and was dealt a blow to the leg and one on the hand, with the ‘weapon,’ although failing to puncture his skin.
The Guardia Civil on duty finally came into action, rescued the judge and arrested the man. Both the Judge and the Public Prosecutor were taken to the medical centre for a check up. Neither of the victims had been ‘punctured’ but the judge, quite understandably, required attention for shock.
The man goes before another judge today, now facing criminal charges, although it is not clear exactly which charges he will face, but one of them will undoubted be ‘an attack against a figure of authority.’
We reported last month on a case where a man escaped from a police holding cell to later burst into a judge’s office and beat his head against the floor whilst throttling him, but Almuñécar now holds the dubious honour of being the first case in the whole province in many years of a judge actually being attacked during a court session.
(News: Almuñécar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)