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Crime Malaga court suspends murder trial twice after defendant is stabbed with syringe and shotThe 35-year-old was discharged from the hospital following a syringe attack on Monday morning, only to be readmitted hours later after a shooting in Pizarra
Irene Quirante and Juan Cano
Wednesday, 15 April 2026, 10:55
A Malaga court was forced to suspend a long-awaited murder trial twice on Monday after one of the defendants survived two separate assassination attempts within 24 hours. The trial involves a fatal shooting that took place in Marbella nearly seven years ago.
The chaos began at approximately 5am on Monday in Malaga city, just hours before the trial was set to start. Two hooded individuals on an electric scooter allegedly stabbed the Romanian defendant in the back with a syringe. Because the nature of the attack was unclear, he was rushed to the hospital to determine if a toxic substance had been injected.
By Monday afternoon, the man was discharged and appeared at the courthouse. Given the circumstances, the court rescheduled the hearing for Tuesday morning.
However, the violence escalated. At around 9pm that same night, the defendant was shot in the town of Pizarra. He was readmitted to the hospital, and the court suspended the trial once again as the Guardia Civil launched an investigation into the shooting. According to sources at the High Court of Justice of Andalucía (TSJA), the hearing is now delayed until at least November.
The original case
The defendant, now a victim of two assaults himself, faces charges of murder, attempted murder, organised crime, and illegal possession of weapons. Prosecutors allege he was part of a trio that orchestrated a 2019 hit in the Alvarito Playa residential area of Marbella.
During that incident, one suspect allegedly shot a victim in the chest at point-blank range, killing him instantly. A second defendant then fired three shots at a another man, hitting him in the abdomen, shoulder, and leg. While that victim survived, his injuries resulted in permanent paraplegia.
The prosecution is seeking a combined 114 years in prison for the three defendants, with the victim of Monday’s double-attack facing a 38.5-year sentence.