A six-month prison sentence, a 1,000 euro fine and his driving license suspended for speaking in Catalan

Carles Mateu Blay, who is native of Almenara (Castelló), was retained for more than three hours during a breath test in Almassora last June. The reasons why he was held were speaking in Catalan and refusing to speak in Spanish to two police agents from Guàrdia Civil. Finally, he was sentenced to jail for six months for disobedience to the authority and to the suspension of his driving license for a period of one year and one day.

The court firstly ruled favorably to Mateu but the Provincial Court chose to revoke their decision after allowing the prosecutor’s appeal, who stated that the defendant purposely confused the police officers creating a linguistic conflict in order to prevent or postpone the breathalyzer test. Also, the report for false complaints has been closed.       


The incident took place on the 21st of December at 5 pm when Mateu was going to pick his son up from school. He was held at Almassora’s exit by Guardia Civil’s officers that were carrying out breathalyzer tests. Mateu spoke to the officers in Catalan, which is an official language in Comunitat Valenciana, and despite the officers’ reluctance, who addressed him in Spanish, he continued to interact with them in Catalan. This irritated the officers and Mateu was held for more than three hours. They issued three reports to him, which consisted of fines that amounted to 1000 euros and the application of 12 penalty points on his driving license, before leaving him with the police reports officer, who was surprised to see his mates’ reports to Mateu about not having his seat belt fastened, not wearing a reflective vest and refusing to do the breathalyzer test. These three allegations were denied by Mateu from the beginning, and he brought them to trial. Thanks to the third agent’s witness, who certified that the defendant was wearing a reflective vest and that he had undergone the relevant breathalyther tests when requested, Mateu won the lawsuit. However, Mateu has realized how the fact that he spoke to the police officers in Catalan has ended up in a sentence against him of a six month imprisonment and a year and to the suspension of his driving license for a period of one year and one day.



Picture: El Punt/Avui