The Audiencia Provincial of Madrid sentenced Daniel Ávila, a 47-year-old Spanish national, to 15 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of Sebastián Bello Lepe, a 35-year-old Chilean tourist and teacher, during an unprovoked attack inside a Madrid bar on December 22, 2023. According to the court’s ruling, which followed a popular jury’s guilty verdict reported by outlets including CNN Chile, the sentence also imposes five years of supervised liberty and a 16-year restraining order preventing contact with the victim’s partner.
The Fatal Incident at Bar Batán
The tragedy unfolded inside the Batán bar, located on Calle San Juan de Mata near the Casa de Campo metro station in Madrid. On the night of December 22, 2023, both Ávila and Bello were present at the establishment. Without warning, Ávila approached the Chilean educator and drove a knife into the left side of his neck. According to judicial findings detailed by El País, the assault was carried out so suddenly that the victim had zero opportunity to defend himself.
https://x.com/ANIP_Chile/status/1739664394584297611
The blade inflicted a massive hemorrhage. Medical personnel fought to save Bello, but he succumbed to his injuries three days later on Christmas Day. Ávila remained at the scene following the attack and acknowledged his actions to responding law enforcement officers.
Legal Defenses Rejected by the Court
During the trial, the defense pursued multiple avenues to reduce culpability, none of which fully succeeded before the panel of judges. Ávila’s legal representation argued that the defendant acted under extreme fear, in legitimate self-defense, or while suffering from a psychological anomaly that impaired his understanding of reality. The accused claimed he experienced a state of dissociation driven by an intermittent explosive disorder, stating he only remembered pulling out a pocketknife because he believed Bello was flirting inappropriately and making physical contact with a female acquaintance for whom he held romantic feelings.
While a defense psychologist supported the claim of a psychological disorder, two psychiatric experts appointed by the Comunidad de Madrid firmly rejected it. The court dismissed the arguments of self-defense and psychological incapacity, noting that Ávila himself told police he attacked the teacher because he had engaged in past street fights and “had never won.” Prosecutors had initially requested a 22-year prison sentence, but the court settled on a 15-year term.
Mitigating Factors and Restitution
Despite rejecting claims of mental incapacity, the bench incorporated specific mitigating factors into the final judgment. The court recognized Ávila’s immediate confession at the crime scene and his subsequent efforts toward repairing the damage—specifically noting that he deposited 600 euros into the court’s account to contribute toward financial indemnifications.
Alongside the 15-year prison term and five years of subsequent supervised release, the sentence mandates a total of 300,000 euros in civil liabilities to be paid to the victim’s grieving family and his girlfriend. As the legal proceedings conclude, the case closes a painful chapter for the relatives of Sebastián Bello Lepe, whose holiday visit to Spain ended in senseless violence.
