A British banking executive has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the murder of a 19-year-old in Lisbon, Portugal, following a street attack involving a broken bottle. Daniel Dunbar, 30, was found guilty of the killing by judges at Lisbon's Central Criminal Court. The court issued a written ruling detailing the decision on Friday.
Dunbar admitted to assaulting Daniel Galhanas on October 14, 2023, but claimed he acted in self-defense. He stated he believed Galhanas was attacking one of his friends and that the broken bottle ended up in his hand accidentally during the confrontation. The court, however, rejected this defense, with lead judge Armandina Silva Lopes asserting that Dunbar showed "no hesitation" in attacking his victim and acted with "clear and reckless indifference for his victim's life."
The prosecution presented video footage of the incident, which showed Galhanas, identified as a police mechanic who was not part of any aggressive group, collapsing after sustaining fatal injuries to his neck. The court ruled that Dunbar concealed the broken bottle in his left hand and then attacked Galhanas, who was unable to defend himself. According to the ruling, after inflicting the wound, Dunbar fled the scene without offering assistance.
In addition to the 15-year sentence, Dunbar was ordered to pay approximately $200,000 in compensation to Galhanas's family. The time Dunbar has spent in custody since his arrest in June 2024 and extradition from the UK in May 2024 will be factored into his release date. Under Portuguese law, the maximum sentence for this crime is 25 years.
Dunbar, who previously worked in investor management at the Royal Bank of Canada and had run his own financial advisory company, reportedly attempted to leave Portugal shortly after the incident. He was arrested in the UK and extradited to Portugal. During his trial, Dunbar expressed remorse, stating he should have gone to the police instead of leaving the country, attributing his actions to immaturity and fear of imprisonment.
Lawyers for the Galhanas family have expressed dissatisfaction with the sentence, deeming it "too lenient" and disproportionate to the severity of the crime. They have indicated a firm intention to appeal the verdict and sentence. An online petition organized by the family described Galhanas as a peacemaker who was attempting to de-escalate the situation when he was attacked.