David George Hartley, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison by the Provincial Court in Barcelona for the murder of a Danish friend of his, Paul Pedersen, at a campsite near the city six years ago. He has already been held in prison for six years awaiting trial, four years in Spain and two in Britain.The killing happened in June 2002 and the verdict was published by the court today after Hartley was found guilty by the jury of nine at the five day trial in September, pleading not guilty.
He was also given an additional two year sentence for stealing 200 € from his victim before strangling him.The court heard how the two men met at the Tres Estrellas campsite in Gavà and became friends, sharing a tent, with witnesses saying they were always together. But then on the night of June 23 Hartley strangled Pederson in his sleep, fleeing after the murder to Benidorm and then back to Britain.Two British witnesses told the court that Hartley had told them about the killing and his former girlfriend also said that he was a drinker and drug user, and that he believed he had strangled a man in Spain although was not sure.The defence claimed there was no evidence to prove he had carried out the crime.Hartley was also ordered to pay compensation of 60,000 € to each one of the two Danish daughters of the dead man.
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