SC rejects man’s insanity defense

SC rejects man’s insanity defense | Daily Tribune

The defense of insanity of a man who shot and killed the mother and stepfather of his live-in partner whom he also shot due to a dispute in their relationship in 2014 was rejected by the Supreme Court.

This, as the High Court affirmed with modifications the Court of Appeals’ 2020 decision which upheld the trial court’s conviction of Arvi G. Villa for double murder and frustrated murder in 2018.

Penned by Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting and made public last 19 January, the SC upheld the CA’s findings that Villa’s act of bringing a gun before going to the house of his live-in partner Maridref R. Tolentino meant that he had already determined his plan to kill.

Also, the SC affirmed the appellate court’s ruling that Villa’s act of attempting to commit suicide indicated his awareness of the profundity of the actions he had committed.

In rejecting Villa’s appeal from the ruling of the lower court the CA gave credence to the psychological evaluation that there was no evidence of serious neurotic, psychotic, or organic disorder on his part.

The defense of insanity of the accused was presented for the first time during his appeal to the CA.

Maridref — during the trial before the RTC —testified that she and Arvi had been live-in partners for seven years and resided at the latter’s house in Novaliches, Quezon City where she claimed had been physically and verbally abused by him since 2011.

In June 2014 as per record showed, Maridref decided to end her relationship with Arvi and moved to her parents’ house in Sta. Ana, Manila.

Arvi went to see Maridref in Sta. Ana and begged her to go back to him, but his offer was turned down and requested him to bring all her personal belongings from his house in Novaliches and complied.

Arvi on 1 August 2014 went to Maridref’s house and cried as he again pleaded her to go back with him but for the second time she turned it down and it was final and as Arvi went to the comfort room, Maridref went to the living room where her mother and step father are located.

He again went to the comfort room and was seen by Maridref holding a gun poking it at the stepfather.

As Maridref ran away, she heard several gunshots and noticed she too was hit but barangay officials who helped her brought her to the hospital for chest, armpit, inner arm, thigh and buttocks.

The police recovered the dead bodies of Maridref’s mother and step father inside the house, while Arvi was found lying on the floor and the gun was also recovered.

On 29 August 2018, the RTC convicted Arvi and was sentenced to reclusion perpetua or a maximum jail term of 40 years each for the two counts of murder without eligibility for parole, and eight to 14 years for frustrated murder.