I'm not sure about Spain, but in the US there are he said/she said arguments rather often. But there are a bunch of you and only one of him. It seems you would be able to fight him in court on that and at least raise some sort of ruccus so that if your house gets broken into or worse there will be a legal point to get him on.
At the very least your family should think of getting a disposable camera to keep in the car. Can't argue that sort of evidence.
Is Spain really that bad? That's horrible.
Ugh... I seem to have picked up a problem, though it involves the whole family more than me.
This must be so frightening and distressing for you, just awful.
You must feel quite sick about it all.
Is there any way you can move away to a different area, so that you can live with a bit of peace?
Ugh... I seem to have picked up a problem, though it involves the whole family more than me.
This must be so frightening and distressing for you, just awful.
You must feel quite sick about it all.
Is there any way you can move away to a different area, so that you can live with a bit of peace?
Yes this situation is certainly distressing.
Sorry to disagree Lucie...but I don't think moving away to a different area is the answer. One way or another this psycho needs to be sorted out...
Ryuujin--you can't let some demented weirdo drive you away from your home.
I agree he shouldn't have to move - but for myself I would choose peace of mind and safety over justice - especially if the police aren't much help. My feelings only.
"I 'ope you told 'im to fuck off, love."
Alright, this has reached a new level of stupidity.
We went out on the road after a week of no nonsense from him and, lo and behold he was sat parked in a layby WAITING for us. We drove past and he came out acting like a maniac again, which we've gotten kind of used to, it'll be the 6th time.
Anyway, when this failed, he pulled alongside our driver side window, and pointed a GUN out the passenger window. Needless to say we sped off at that point.
But this is gettign rediculous, dad has angina and each of these attacks makes him really ill and he's worrying himself to death, the police arn't intrested because we can't PROVE any of this because there's never any witnesses besides us, and dad gets even worse state when we try file anything.
We're essentially trapped in our own home, nobody wants to help and if this keeps up someone's going to die, what the hell are we meant to do?
I mean, seriously, I need help now - my parents are in no position to take any action, because dad would probably have a heart attack simply from the stress of proceedings, and it'll probably take too long anyway, because the guy keeps attacking us, if the process takes months, he'll have attacked us several more times before the proceedings complete.
As it is, he keeps attacking every single time he sees us and... we can't prevent it. The law protects him more than it protects us.
Keep a Camera in your glove compartment!
as soon as the feckwit trys anything *snap* instaproof!
I suggested that, but they havn't taken it up yet. at any rate, in every incident to date mum's been catatonic with fear and she's the one usually in the passenger seat, in most the incidents I havn't been there anyway/
have you considered getting a new car,or the one you have recoloured?
It wont last long,but it might fool them for awhile.
have you contacted the embassy?
He knows where we live, he only needs come past our house to work out that we have a new car, and he'd likely smash that one up too.
I've suggested we contact the embassy but our translator says the last time that happened with one of her clients the Spanish police got really annoyed and made the process much harder, at least right now if we survive the few months til the court case on the dog bite there is a slim chance the judge will take into account the full range of charges he's racked up himself, and get a barring order or worse which'll give us permanenet protection from him
Personally though I don't like the idea of sitting about for 1 to 3 months, given that attacks have gone from monthly to weekly basis and are getting more and more dangerous.
where do you stand,self defence wise?
if he where to come to your house, how would the law regard you attacking him back,if he is threatening?
Not a clue, I'm under the impression he has to strike the first blow and I can then respond with equal force;
The only part of Spanish law that protects us is that NOBODY can enter your property without permission with the exception of the emergency services and armed forces, if you tell someone to get off your property and they refuse you are in your rights to physically remove him from it. And if he escalates that the law would probably look favourably on us....
New Update:
It's been 3 months now since we've encountered this guy and looks like it's calmed down. Or had.
Today a police officer turned up with a notification to get a lawyer ready and a translator for April - apparently he's actually pressing charges against us for "Our dog biting him" (We don't own a dog remember?).
Now obviously I think it's extremely dumb and will fall through but my parents arn't getting any sleep, are constantly stressed out and arguing about whether we should be paying hundreds of eruoes for legal assistance (mums stance) or just let the case collapse under it's own weight (me and dad's view - he does afterall have to prove our dog bit him, which is impossible, there is no dog. I mean, he threatened us with a gun demanding money but we can't PROVE he did so there's no case).
Dad's all stressed and has a heart problem and when the case collapses this guy is gonna lose even more money; he's already come to our house and threatened us with a gun demanding money, what do you suppose will happen when he throws yet MORE money down the sink?
(Sure the police are on short notice of our situation but we live in a desert, if he turned up with a gun, the police won't arrive til it's too late)
Why can't he just leave us alone? =(
I'd certainly be getting legal advice at least. The moron has to prove the dog is yours (which he can't) and if you can - this is why you need the advice - you should explain to the court that this idiot has been doing what he is doing, but you don't have solid evidence other than your own word (and the word of the insurance person). Also explain that you are immigrants and you feel unwelcome as a result of this frivilous charge and it could well be a case of racism (that one CAN be proved based on the frivilous charge by itself - because the obvious follow up question is "Why press this charge if it's complete and utter nonsense?")
But having said that, I have an awful feeling this idiot may have arranged proof that you owned a dog (not now - then, hence the passage of time) and if he does, seek an adjournment because it would be easy to prove the proof to be forged depending on what it is.
Meanwhile, get the CCTV installed. You need it - desperately.
Lol Jay - *I'm* the immigrant ;p
We're in Spain, Crystal meth is nearly unheard of in Europe, though you're actually right that he is a well known druggy and thief and the police are fed up to the eye teeth with him.
Unfortunatly this case is going from bad to worse. We got legal advise, or tried to 2 days ago.
The first solicitor met immediatly knew who the guy was and refused to take the case - why?
Firstly, his family is rich, he's been done for drugs and theft multiple times but gets bailed every time. Secondly, one of his relatives works in the town hall's justice department... scratch that. One of his relative is the very same person we had to give our statements to.
We got another solicitor today who did take us up, and if it wasn't smelling suspicious already, it seems we don't even know what we're charged with. The paperwork we got says that the case relates to "injuries he recieved", however it seems that's just the summons, we should have a lot more paperwork telling us precisely what we're charged with and how to go about forming evidence for the defence and when to have it all submitted by to avoid fines, funnily this paperwork again comes from the same department as his relative is in. We can't even be sure we're charged with a dog bite, it could be some other ivnented more serious charge
If we hadn't got the solicitor in we'd have been fined thousands of euroes for failing to submit the paperwork we never recieved in time. The solicitor herself thinks someone on the inside is helping try and mess things up for us so we end up with a fine.
Gawd, if I read this on another website I'd think the poster was an attention whore making it up - I mean, car crashes, stalkers with guns making threats, corrupt courts and rich spoiled upper class kids.
All because I dared to go outside and be sociable one day
At least you've got a lawyer who is prepared to take this on. They'll do the right thing.
But this thing with his family being rich and influential doesn't help.
I wonder....would it be worth perhaps letting someone in the government know that someone within the justice department is fiddling with justice? Maybe get in touch with the embassy (as you are immigrants) to get that ball rolling. Getting that relative out of the department will be a help. Tell them what the first lawyer told you (the one that wouldn't take the case) and it needs to be investigated.