Costa Blanca North

Ex-husband stabs wife and shoots boyfriend in Denia

By Euro Weekly News Media • Published: 15 Jun 2011 • 11:03

IN a tragic example of extreme domestic violence, a man was killed and his girlfriend seriously injured in Denia.

The attack started when her ex-boyfriend shot the woman’s current partner, killing him instantly. Equally disturbing was the fact that the shooting was carried out using an Uzi sub machine gun which was fitted with a silencer.

Police sources say the gun apparently jammed, and so the assailant abandoned it and went to the woman’s home and used a knife to attack her. She only survived because she defended herself by grabbing the blade of the knife, and she is currently in Denia hospital, with severe lacerations to one hand, and head injuries. She is in a serious but stable condition.

Sources say that the man who died had only recently started a relationship with the woman. The incident occurred minutes after midnight at a bungalow on Aphrodite Street, in urbanization Alhambra in La Pedrera.

The alleged killer is a 47 year old French national known as Alain Cler, 47, who was later arrested, in his parked vehicle next to the scene of the crime. The man shot the ex-boyfriend before going to the woman’s home where he started a heated argument before attacking her with a knife, according to a statement from Denia council, then in the presence of the victim’s seven year old daughter daughter and a friend of hers, the man stabbed his ex-wife several times.

She was able to activate the alarm system given to domestic abuse victims and neighbours who heard their screams alerted police, who arrived in the nick of time to save her life. A restraining order was already in place dating from 27 May, prohibiting the attacker from approaching the woman after a complaint of alleged ill-treatment.

Denia’s Mayor, Ana Kringe, has expressed concern about the situation and has promised that the town’s social services department will investigate why this matter was not picked up earlier. During his testimony the detainee invoked his right not to testify and only responded to a question from his lawyer. He has been sent to prison without bail.