RELATIVES of a prisoner who woke up on an autopsy table have called for him to be granted a reprieve.
Gonzalo Montoya, 29, known as 'El Chino', still has another six months to serve for several offences of stealing copper wire, and is currently on a ward at Asturias Central University Hospital (HUCA) after having spent a few days in intensive care.
He was found lying in his cell, blue, not breathing and with no pulse, and the prison doctor and coroner signed his death certificate.
Forensics had unzipped his body bag and even made marks in indelible ink on him in preparation for his post-mortem when they noticed very slight movements, showing he was in fact still alive.
His father, José Carlos Montoya, says he did not believe the judicial commission even examined him before rubber-stamping the death certificate, considering it impossible that three different experts could have failed to notice his son was alive.
He had gone into a coma after taking an overdose of barbiturates – his second suicide attempt since ending up in Villabona prison (pictured), the first of which was when he tried to hang himself with shoelaces.
“Gonzalo has serious kidney problems, but he is getting better and the doctors are optimistic – after having given him up for dead, it looks as though they're now doing what they can to help him recover,” Montoya Senior said.
He has spoken to a solicitor and intends to take legal action against the prison, its doctors and forensics for 'negligence'.
Now, the family wants him to be given a reprieve and let off the final six months of his custodial sentence, which was a total of three-and-a-half years, of which he has already served three years.
