Prison authorities Spain a man who shot and wounded four people last December and then wounded himself in a shootout with police, leaving him paralyzed and begging to be allowed to die before trial, was euthanized today.

The courts gave the go-ahead for euthanasia after dismissing several appeals from his victims who insisted that he stand trial for his crimes. The case reached the Supreme Court, but it refused to hear it on the grounds that fundamental rights had not been violated.

Spain legalized euthanasia a year ago. Previously, assisting someone in suicide was punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years. At least 172 people have exercised their right to assisted suicide since the law came into force on June 25, according to El Pais newspaper.

“Pistolero de Tarragona”

Disgruntled former security guard Eugen Sabau, 46, shot and killed three of his colleagues, including a woman, at the security firm he worked for in the city of Tarragona. Then, while trying to escape, he wounded a police officer.

When he broke into a house with a whole arsenal, the police broke in and immobilized him by shooting him several times. “Pistolero de Tarragona”, as the Spanish media called him, remained paralyzed. Doctors were forced to amputate one of his legs because the wounds caused him chronic pain that could not be treated with painkillers and which made his life unbearable, he claimed.

A court in Tarragona ruled that Sabau had a fundamental right to request euthanasia given his condition.

Prison services today confirmed his death, Spanish news agency EFE reported.

Sabau’s lawyer did not comment.

^{Source: APE-MEB, Reuters}