THE trial by jury began in Malaga of three men, two Colombian and one Cuban,  accused of murdering a Colombian in April 2007.

The victim’s dismembered body was found in a suitcase in El Higueron (Mijas) in November 2008, although police and the Guardia Civil did not clarify the circumstances of his death until the following March.

The Colombian was contacted, ostensibly to finalise a drugs deal, with one of his alleged murderers arranging to meet him a rented house on a Malaga urbanisation.

On their arrival the other two men were waiting for them “with the intention of taking the life” of the victim, according to the Prosecution Department.  It was also probable that the alleged killers intended to appropriate the drugs in the victim’s possession, the Prosecution said.

The Colombian was shot in the back of the neck and died of his wounds.  His supposed killers then cleaned up the house and hid his body in the suitcase which they later disposed of in El Higueron.

Two of the men face 18-year terms for murder while the third man who lured the Colombian to the house faces the same term as an accessory.

If found guilty the three must also pay €200,000 compensation to the dead man’s heirs.

The accused said in court that they did not intend to kill the man.

The Cuban, who admitted to being the shooter, said that the drugs the man had brought to the meeting were not of the quality agreed, nor was it the correct amount.

The accused said that when they began to argue about this, the man went to get something out of a bag, they thought it was a weapon and, instinctively, the Cuban shot at him. He claimed to be “very sorry”.