A 54-year-old man has been sentenced to one year in prison after leaving a Spanish hotel without paying a bill that had grown to €2,283.40. The Provincial Court of Castellón found him guilty of aggravated fraud.
Stay extended from Christmas to January
The man stayed at Hotel L'Ermita Casa Ripo in La Vall d'Alba, near the Hermitage of San Cristóbal, from December 22, 2023, to January 15, 2024. During his stay, he received accommodation, meals, and cleaning services on a full-board basis.
According to the judicial ruling, he secured the stay by "projecting an appearance of solvency" while being "aware from the outset that he would not pay for any of the expenses incurred."
Previous convictions played a role
The court determined that his conduct constituted aggravated fraud, noting his five previous final convictions for fraud offences. These convictions were handed down by courts in Barcelona, Salamanca, Tortosa, and Santiago de Compostela between 2018 and 2024.
Because the offences were of the same nature, the court saw a pattern of presenting himself as able to pay before obtaining services without settling the bills.
Sentence and compensation
Proceedings ended on June 11, 2026, when an indictment reflecting an agreement between the defendant and his defence counsel was presented. He admitted the facts and accepted the sentence.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a €1,080 fine, payable at €6 per day over six months. Failure to pay could result in one day of deprivation of liberty for every two unpaid instalments.
The defendant must also compensate Sociedad L'Ermita Casa Ripo S.L., the company behind the hotel, for the €2,283.40 outstanding, plus statutory interest, and cover legal costs.
The ruling, numbered 244/2026, was handed down by the First Section of the Provincial Court of Castellón and is final, with no appeal possible.
