The little Citroën is spotted by customs in Zoufftgen. Friday, October 8, in the morning, the motorist has just crossed the Luxembourg border. But he doesn’t really want to let himself be controlled. He pretends to take the exit indicated by the customs officers, then gives a steering wheel at the last moment. He accelerates, stops, starts again, takes another exit. The car will eventually be stuck in traffic at Terville. The agents quickly understood the fugitive’s motives: the driver was carrying 500 large caliber ammunition and five magazines.
He was presented to the Thionville court on Monday, October 11. The profile of the defendant is unusual: the 73-year-old man has spent almost half of his life in prison, convicted of weapons-related offenses, assault and battery leading to death, and a murder that ‘he always denied. He was on parole when he was arrested.
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Closed prison
Small, thin, bald, he wears red pants and his glasses are hung on the collar of his gray sweatshirt. He speaks calmly, recognizes his mistake. Its singing accent betrays origins in the south of France. He now lives in Nancy. He explains to the court that he made the trip on behalf of “an honorable person” who practices hunting. “It is a person who has done me a service,” he slips. He received € 200 commission. “It’s a lot of money for me. The defendant will say no more.
“The thesis of the hunter does not convince me”, slices the deputy prosecutor. He recalls the circumstances of the arrest and the dangerousness of the ammunition seized. He also insists that his parole prohibited him from possessing weapons and traveling abroad. It requires one year in prison.
The defendant’s lawyer prefers to question the existence of a sentence more suited to “a touching personality”, who likes reading, art and … weapons.
His client is fined 1,000 euros. And he goes back to prison: the court sentences him to seven months.
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