The Alicante Provincial Court in Elche has sentenced two homeless people to five years and two and a half years in prison for the crime of manslaughter.
The pair beat another homeless man to death after an argument on a Torrevieja construction site, where the three were staying.
The events took place in May 2011, when an argument broke out over a jug of water they were using for washing.
During the fight, one of the assailants punched the 48-year-old victim several times in the face and knocked him down. Once on the ground, he kicked him in the face. The second assailant also joined in the assault hitting the man forcefully.
The court took into consideration the mitigation of drunkenness for both offenders and also that of undue delay in bringing the case to court. The two attackers will jointly compensate the next of kin of the deceased with 10,000 euro, although at this stage no one has been traced.
At the start of the trial, which was to be held in front of a jury, the Public Prosecutor, the accused and their lawyers, informed the court that they agreed with the facts, the crime and the penalties requested.
One of the assailants confirmed that the man had died during the night and they had moved his body to a concrete bench near where they were spending the night. The forensic report reveals that the victim died between one and three in the morning.
