Latest news with #Tarragona
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Ex-soldier who strangled girlfriend to death with hair straightener power cord on 'make or break Spanish holiday' is jailed for 15 years
A former soldier has been jailed for just 15 years for the brutal murder of his Irish girlfriend at their Spanish holiday hotel. Keith Byrne, 34, killed mother-one Kirsty Ward by strangling her with hair straightener power cord after she told him she was leaving him and was found guilty of the crime back in May. He was today told the two years he has already spent in prison on remand and as a convicted felon will qualify as time served. The sentencing decision, revealed overnight in a 121-page ruling by the judge who presided over Byrne's trial at a court in the east coast Spanish city of Tarragona, means he could be back out on the streets in around a decade. Public prosecutors had demanded a 20 year jail sentence for the Irishman after a jury convicted him in May of strangling his partner Kirsty to death at their four-star hotel in the popular Costa Daurada resort of Salou on July 2, 2023. A private prosecutor for Kirsty's family said after the guilty verdict she was still seeking the 30-year sentence she argued for before and during the trial. Sentencing judge Susana Calvo Gonzalez ruled the fact Bryne and his 36-year-old partner had been in a stable eight-month relationship made the horror crime more serious. But she said the convicted killer's consumption of alcohol and drugs before he murdered Kirsty diminished his cognitive faculties and was a prevailing mitigating factor. The judge said in her lengthy ruling: 'I understand that there is a prevailing basis for imposing the lower penalty and, therefore, imposing a sentence of between seven years and six months and 15 years. 'Within that range, the recognition of the aggravating circumstance and the motivation for the act…lead to the imposition of the maximum penalty, which is 15 years in prison.' Jurors found Keith Bryne guilty of murdering his South Dublin girlfriend on May 7 after three days of deliberations. The 34-year-old, who served in the Irish Guards and Parachute Regiment before abandoning his post in Colchester, Essex had claimed during his Tarragona trial the mum-of-one committed suicide at the four-star Magnolia Hotel. He described himself as a 'respectful and intelligent' father-of-three who would never commit an act of domestic violence - and demonised Kirsty as someone who could be 'four people in one day' especially after binging on alcohol and cocaine he claimed made their romance 'toxic'. Kirsty's mum Jackie Ward described Byrne as someone she 'didn't like' and 'didn't trust' on day one of the trial on April 23 and said she had found out after her daughter's death she had planned to leave him during their 'make or break' holiday. She was asked as she gave evidence whether she thought her daughter, whose son Evan was 14 when she died, could have committed suicide but replied angrily: 'She did everything for her son. She would never ever leave him. She would never do that to him.' Public prosecutor Javier Goimil, a domestic violence specialist, rubbished Byrne's court claim that Kirsty took her own life during his closing speech to the jury last Wednesday on the final day of the murder trial. He claimed the former soldier, who had been living in Duleek, Co Meath, decided: 'You're mine or you're nobody's' and strangled his girlfriend to death because she wanted out of their stormy relationship. He said the forensic evidence pointed to Kirsty had been strangled from behind between 8pm and 10pm on July 2 2023 after 'incapacitating herself' with alcohol and cocaine He told the court: 'Byrne has adapted his version of events of what happened in that timeframe nearly two years on in accordance with the evidence he's learnt there is against him. 'He's saying Kirsty tied a cable round her neck and attached it to the door knob but in the state she was in it would have been impossible for her to do that and there's nothing showing there was a knot in the cable. 'What's occurred here is a violent and painful death, a strangulation from behind where someone is pulling from the front to the back. This was not a suicide.' He added: 'She didn't leave a note for her son or her siblings or her mum and what's more she had bought a plane ticket back to Dublin for July 4. 'Kirsty's relationship with Byrne was very toxic, very intense and very emotional. 'She decided to end it during the week they stayed at the hotel in Salou and her partner couldn't accept that decision. 'His mindset at that moment was: 'Or you're mine or you're nobody's. You, woman, are no-one to say you're going to detach yourself from me the man and have your own independent life. 'That was why he killed her the way he did.' He also said the amount of alcohol Kirsty had drunk before being killed would have impacted significantly on her ability to defend herself. Byrne's defence lawyer Jordi Cabre had been seeking his client's acquittal before the jury verdict and afterwards asked the judge to hand down the 'minimum sentence' under Spanish law. The killer was led handcuffed from the court after learning he was now a convicted criminal after nearly two years on remand in prison following his arrest, with the judge deferring sentencing as is normal in Spain. It emerged following Byrne's arrest the day of his crime that he was wanted in England by Royal Military Police for going absent without leave after he left for Ireland in 2017. He transferred to Colchester-based 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, a batallion-sized formation of the British Army's Parachute Regiment, after leaving the Irish Guards. Reports in Ireland last March said Spanish prosecutors intended to interview at least two of his former partners about assisting the case by giving background information about him. One of these women previously claimed in an interview with the Irish Independent that Byrne had tried to strangle her in an incident at a property in Co Meath a number of years ago. Jackie Ward described her daughter after her death as a 'fantastic friend' to her parents and 'an absolutely adored daughter.' She told the congregation at the Church of John the Evangelist in Ballinteer, Dublin in July 2023 that she had been an amazing mum to Evan, saying: 'The two of them were an amazingly strong and tight team and I hope to continue the great work she has done. 'To me she was a fantastic friend and an absolutely adored daughter to myself and John. She was a caring sister, a cherished granddaughter and much loved niece and cousin. A loyal and true friend.' Kirsty's family said in a statement after the May 7 jury verdict: 'Our family wish to thank our private prosecutor Estela Cortes and her team for guiding, supporting and representing Kirsty, her son and our family at this very difficult and painful time; Javier Goimil the public prosecutor for his commitment and passion; the Spanish investigation teams and police for their expertise, empathy and understanding; and the jury for seeing and believing in what was the truth about our beautiful Kirsty. 'Our family now requests our privacy be respected, while we grieve and come to terms with all that has happened during the past two years.' The Irishwoman's loved ones have yet to react to the sentencing decision. As well as a 15-year prison sentence, Byrne was also handed a restraining order preventing him contacting Kirsty's teenage son, mum or siblings or going within 1,000 metres of them for a period of 25 years. He was also ordered to pay her son 150,000 euros in compensation, her mum 80,000 uros and each of her siblings 20,000 euros. The sentencing ruling can be appealed. It is not yet clear whether Kirsty's family have already lodged an appeal with Catalonia's High Court of Justice or intend doing so.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Irish Times
Keith Byrne jailed for 15 years for murdering partner Kirsty Ward in Spanish hotel room
A former Dublin soldier has been jailed for 15 years for the murder of his Irish girlfriend at a hotel in Spain. Along with the sentence for the murder of Kirsty Ward (36), Byrne (34) was also handed a restraining order preventing him from contacting Ms Ward's family or going within one kilometre of them for 25 years. He was also ordered to pay Ms Ward's teenage son €150,000 in compensation, her mother €80,000 and each of her siblings €20,000. The two years Byrne has already spent in prison on remand and following his murder conviction in May will qualify as time served. READ MORE The sentencing decision was revealed overnight in a 121-page ruling by the judge who presided over Byrne's trial in the city of Tarragona, Spain. Public prosecutors had demanded a 20-year jail sentence after a jury convicted Byrne of strangling Ms Ward to death with a hair straightener power cord at a hotel in Salou on July 2nd, 2023, after she told him she was leaving him. Estela Cortes, a private prosecutor for Ms Ward's family, said she was still seeking the 30-year sentence she argued for before and during the trial. [ 'Our beautiful Kirsty': Family thanks jury after man found guilty of murdering Irish partner at Spanish hotel Opens in new window ] Judge Susana Calvo Gonzalez ruled the fact Byrne and Ms Ward had been in a stable eight-month relationship made the crime more serious. However, she said his consumption of alcohol and drugs before the murder diminished his cognitive faculties and was a prevailing mitigating factor. Rejecting arguments from Ms Cortes over the 30-year prison term, the judge said: 'I understand that there is a prevailing basis for imposing the lower penalty and, therefore, imposing a sentence of between seven years and six months and 15 years. 'Within that range, the recognition of the aggravating circumstance and the motivation for the act . . . lead to the imposition of the maximum penalty, which is 15 years in prison.' Jurors found Byrne guilty after three days of deliberations of murdering his girlfriend on May 7th. He had claimed during his trial that Ms Ward had died by suicide at the four-star Magnolia Hotel. Byrne described himself as a 'respectful and intelligent' father of three who would never commit an act of domestic violence. He demonised Ms Byrne as someone who could be 'four people in one day'. He said this was especially the case after bingeing on alcohol and cocaine, which he claimed made their romance 'toxic'. Public prosecutor Javier Goimil, a domestic violence specialist, rubbished Byrne's court claim Ms Ward took her own life during his closing speech to the jury on the final day of the murder trial. He claimed the former soldier, who had been living in Duleek, Co Meath, decided 'you're mine or you're nobody's'. Mr Goimil added that Byrne strangled his girlfriend to death because she wanted out of their relationship. He said forensic evidence pointed to Ms Ward being strangled from behind between 8pm and 10pm on July 2nd, 2023 after 'incapacitating herself' with alcohol and cocaine. He said 'Kirsty's relationship with Byrne was very toxic, very intense and very emotional". He also said the amount of alcohol Ms Ward had drunk before being killed would have impacted significantly her ability to defend herself.
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Keith Byrne jailed for 15 years for murder of Kirsty Ward at Spanish hotel
A former soldier has been jailed for just 15 years for the brutal murder of his Irish girlfriend at a Spanish holiday hotel. Keith Byrne has been told the two years he has already spent in prison on remand and as a convicted felon following his conviction in May will qualify as time served. Advertisement The sentencing decision, revealed overnight in a 121-page written ruling by the judge who presided over Byrne's trial at a court in the east coast Spanish city of Tarragona, means he could be back out on the streets in around a decade. Public prosecutors had demanded a 20-year jail sentence for the 34-year-old Irishman after a jury convicted him of strangling Kirsty to death with a hair straightener power cord at their four-star hotel in the popular Costa Daurada resort of Salou on July 2nd, 2023 after she told him she was leaving him. A private prosecutor for Kirsty's family said after the guilty verdict she was still seeking the 30-year sentence she argued for before and during the trial. Sentencing judge Susana Calvo Gonzalez ruled the fact Bryne and his 36-year-old partner had been in a stable eight-month relationship made the horror crime more serious. Advertisement But she said the convicted killer's consumption of alcohol and drugs before he murdered Kirsty diminished his cognitive faculties and was a prevailing mitigating factor. A private prosecutor for Kirsty's family said after the guilty verdict she was still seeking the 30-year sentence she argued for before and during the trial. The judge said in her lengthy ruling, rejecting arguments private prosecutor Estela Cortes put forward to justify a 30-year prison term: 'I understand that there is a prevailing basis for imposing the lower penalty and, therefore, imposing a sentence of between seven years and six months and 15 years. 'Within that range, the recognition of the aggravating circumstance and the motivation for the act…lead to the imposition of the maximum penalty, which is 15 years in prison.' Jurors found Keith Bryne guilty of murdering his South Dublin girlfriend on May 7th after three days of deliberations. Advertisement The Irishman had claimed during his Tarragona trial the mum-of-one committed suicide at the four-star Magnolia Hotel. He described himself as a 'respectful and intelligent' father-of-three who would never commit an act of domestic violence - and demonised Kirsty as someone who could be 'four people in one day' especially after binging on alcohol and cocaine he claimed made their romance 'toxic'. Kirsty's mum Jackie Ward described Byrne as someone she 'didn't like' and 'didn't trust' on day one of the trial on April 23rd and said she had found out after her daughter's death she had planned to leave him during their 'make or break' holiday. Evidence She was asked as she gave evidence whether she thought her daughter, whose son Evan was 14 when she died, could have committed suicide but replied angrily: 'She did everything for her son. She would never ever leave him. She would never do that to him.' Advertisement Public prosecutor Javier Goimil, a domestic violence specialist, rubbished Byrne's court claim Kirsty took her own life during his closing speech to the jury on the final day of the murder trial. He claimed the former soldier, who had been living in Duleek, Co Meath, decided, 'You're mine or you're nobody's', and strangled his girlfriend to death because she wanted out of their stormy relationship. He said the forensic evidence pointed to Kirsty being strangled from behind between 8pm and 10pm on July 2nd, 2023 after 'incapacitating herself' with alcohol and cocaine He told the court: 'Byrne has adapted his version of events of what happened in that timeframe nearly two years on in accordance with the evidence he's learnt there is against him. 'He's saying Kirsty tied a cable round her neck and attached it to the door knob but in the state she was in it would have been impossible for her to do that and there's nothing showing there was a knot in the cable. Advertisement 'What's occurred here is a violent and painful death, a strangulation from behind where someone is pulling from the front to the back. This was not a suicide." He added: 'She didn't leave a note for her son or her siblings or her mum and what's more she had bought a plane ticket back to Dublin for July 4th. 'Kirsty's relationship with Byrne was very toxic, very intense and very emotional. 'She decided to end it during the week they stayed at the hotel in Salou and her partner couldn't accept that decision. 'His mindset at that moment was: 'You're mine or you're nobody's. You, woman, are no-one to say you're going to detach yourself from me the man and have your own independent life'. 'That was why he killed her the way he did.' He also said the amount of alcohol Kirsty had drunk before being killed would have impacted significantly on her ability to defend herself. Kirsty's mum Jackie Ward described Byrne as someone she 'didn't like' and 'didn't trust' on day one of the trial on April 23rd. Byrne's defence lawyer Jordi Cabre had been seeking his client's acquittal before the jury verdict and afterwards asked the judge to hand down the "minimum sentence" under Spanish law. The killer was led handcuffed from the court after learning he was a convicted criminal following nearly two years on remand in prison following his arrest, with the judge deferring sentencing as is normal in Spain. It emerged following Byrne's Spanish arrest that he was wanted in England by Royal Military Police for going AWOL after he left for Ireland in 2017. Reports in Ireland last March said Spanish prosecutors intended to interview at least two of his former partners about assisting the case by giving background information about him. One of these women previously claimed in an interview with the Irish Independent that Byrne had tried to strangle her in an incident at a property in Co Meath a number of years ago. Jackie Ward described her daughter after her death as a 'fantastic friend' to her parents and 'an absolutely adored daughter". 'Adored daughter' She told the congregation at the Church of John the Evangelist in Ballinteer, Dublin in July 2023 that she had been an amazing mum to Evan, saying: 'The two of them were an amazingly strong and tight team and I hope to continue the great work she has done. 'To me she was a fantastic friend and an absolutely adored daughter to myself and John. She was a caring sister, a cherished granddaughter and much loved niece and cousin. A loyal and true friend.' Kirsty's family said in a statement after the May 7th jury verdict: 'Our family wish to thank our private prosecutor Estela Cortes and her team for guiding, supporting and representing Kirsty, her son and our family at this very difficult and painful time; Javier Goimil the public prosecutor for his commitment and passion; the Spanish investigation teams and police for their expertise, empathy and understanding; and the jury for seeing and believing in what was the truth about our beautiful Kirsty. 'Our family now requests our privacy be respected, while we grieve and come to terms with all that has happened during the past two years.' Restraining order The slain Irishwoman's loved ones have yet to react to the sentencing decision. Well-placed legal sources said after Byrne's trial finished they expected him to be jailed for around 20 years. Along with a 15-year prison sentence, Byrne was also handed a restraining order preventing him contacting Kirsty's teenage son, mum or siblings or going within 1,000 metres of them for a period of 25 years. He was also ordered to pay her son €150,000 in compensation, her mum €80,000 and each of her siblings €20,000. The sentencing ruling can be appealed. It is not yet clear whether Kirsty's family have already lodged an appeal with Catalonia's High Court of Justice or intend doing so.
Emirates 24/7
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Emirates 24/7
UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Isaac del Toro claims fifth win
Picking up exactly where he left off at the recent Tour of Austria, Isaac del Toro produced a brilliant performance at the Clàssica Terres de l'Ebre to seal his fifth victory in just two weeks. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider went on the attack alone and ensured he would not be caught before the finish, becoming only the second-ever winner of this young Spanish one-day semi-Classic. Del Toro has now moved to 10 career victories, with his exploits at the Tour of Austria yielding four wins alone. The Mexican was the breakout star of this year's Giro d'Italia, and showed every bit of his class to win in Spain on Monday afternoon. Over a rolling parcours in Tarragona, Del Toro watched his teammates set a searing pace under the midday sun, with the peloton splintering under both the heat and pressure. One by one, his competitors dropped from the pack, and Del Toro began to sense an opportunity to grab the race by the scruff of its neck. That moment came on the Alt de Paüls. With the group whittled down to only the strongest riders, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider stomped on the pedals and powered his way off the front of the race. As the gradient rose, so too did the pressure, and for a short while, Natnael Tesfatsion of Movistar proved the only man able to follow Del Toro's wheel. In just two weeks, UAE Team Emirates-XRG's breakout star of the season has doubled his career victory tally, and if Monday's display is anything to go by, Del Toro is set for another exciting block of racing over the coming weeks. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Europe wildfires map: Where summer fires have struck from France and Spain to Greece
Thousands have been forced to evacuate and dozens have been injured in wildfires across Europe that have been fanned by extreme heatwaves across the continent. Spanish authorities ordered more than 18,000 residents in the northeastern Tarragona province to remain indoors on Tuesday, with several dozen evacuated, as a raging wildfire consumed nearly 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of vegetation. The blaze broke out early on Monday in a remote area near the village of Pauls, and firefighting efforts have been severely hampered by strong winds and rugged terrain. Two people died in a separate wildfire on 1 July in the Catalonia region, where Tarragona is located. In the south of France, a wildfire that reached the outskirts of Marseille injured 110 people and locals have been warned that while the fire has been contained for now, it remains a concern. "It is not finished. Weather conditions are worrying for us," head of the area council Martine Vassal told broadcaster BFM. The fire had burned through 700 hectares by late Tuesday and had destroyed at least 10 homes. Firefighters worked through the night to contain the blaze, which authorities believe was caused by a car that caught fire on the side of a highway. A separate blaze broke out near the city of Narbonne, marking France's first major fire of the summer according to government spokesperson Sophie Primas. Ms Primas added in an interview with RTL that the wildfire season had started earlier this year. In Greece, at least 5,000 tourists were forced to evacuate parts of Crete last week as a massive wildfire scorched forests and olive groves on the Greek island. Around 230 firefighters, along with 46 engines and helicopters, rushed to tackle the blaze on Thursday, which broke out the day before in the forested hills near Lerapetra on the island's southern coast. Winds of up to 50mph spread the blaze south, as reinforcements flew in from Athens to help put out the fire. The inferno destroyed homes in places including Agia Fotia, while at least four people were rushed to hospital after inhaling smoke, according to the BBC. The previous week, a large fire south of Athens prompted authorities to evacuate five communities as temperatures neared 40 degrees Celsius and the blaze, fanned by strong winds, threatened homes. The ongoing heatwave forced Greek officials to in Athens to protect visitors and workers.
