Former Marine who killed PSP remains silent at trial

A former marine convicted of killing a PSP officer outside a Lisbon nightclub in 2022 remained silent this Wednesday at the start of another trial in which he is accused of assaulting a GNR officer also in Lisbon's nightlife.

Cláudio Coimbra, 26, and his brother, 23, are accused of a crime of aggravated assault on physical integrity for, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office, having punched and then kicked an off-duty soldier in the head, while he was on the ground.

The incident reportedly took place at 4:00 am on November 12, 2021, inside a nightclub in Cais do Sodré, Lisbon.

In the first session of the trial, the 29-year-old guard who was allegedly attacked confirmed that he had been punched, but admitted that he did not know who had punched him.

Gonçalo Brandão then lost consciousness, attributing the identification of the defendants to his friends.

Upon arrival at the Lisbon Local Criminal Court, the victim and some supporters, including from the Chega party, displayed a banner in tribute to PSP agent Fábio Guerra, who, in March 2022, was killed by Cláudio Coimbra and another former marine, Vadym Hrinko, outside another Lisbon nightclub.

The family of Fábio Guerra, 26 years old at the time of his death, will also be present this Wednesday at the Lisbon Justice Campus.

The second defendant, Artur Coimbra, did not appear at the first session of the trial and was fined 204 euros by the judge.