These are words that gripped the court and the audience in the courtroom with horror from the opening of the proceedings. Audio files recorded by Julie Douib containing threats and insults, uttered by her then spouse and future murderer. When the Advocate General asks the Clerk to select the excerpts, we hear the names of the files: “Stop mariole”, “Casa Corsa”, “In crisis in crisis”, “Regretter children”, “You disgust me”. The tone is set. Extracts. Bruno Garcia-Cruciani: “Stop playing the mariole, you’ll see your face, I’ll take it. I told you to stop. Did you understand what I told you? Stop fooling around. You continue to do the kéké, in depression with your plastic bags. Stupid! » « It is you who are stupid! “, answers Julie Douib who stands up to her.
“I’m on the verge of exploding. It won’t end well.”
The clerk then launches the other sounds out of order: “We’re going to have a good laugh, you’ll understand my name. There is one who was the mariole, she took slaps in front of the Café de la paix ”he launches, explicit reference to his ex-companion, who came to testify at the bar a few days earlier. “I go out with my girlfriends, I don’t see the problem,” Julie tries to explain, vehemently. A small child’s voice is heard several times. “What a tramp you have become! “, vociferates the father of the family. “That’s not true! “, the angry child’s voice. “The car is finished, from now on you are on foot. You are unable to take your kids to the sport, ”we still hear. The little voice then asks: “Mom, are you going to leave tonight?” “Julie Douib answers:” No, anything baby. Listen to me ! Mom, she never leaves, she never leaves you. Always mom, she stays there. Never, I’m leaving. He can do whatever he wants, mom, she’ll never leave you. »
Other excerpts follow. Bruno Garcia-Cruciani criticizes Julie Douib for being “not shy”, “what are you crying, that you are too much at home. Are you going to work? You’re going to blow yourself up, yes! “We perceive, in the ear his jaw clenching with fury: “Be careful, be careful of yourself, pushing people to the limit, it’s too much, it’s too much, I tell you. Be careful how you speak. I smash you. “You’re not going to live there.” ‘Cause you’re driving me out of my mind. I’m on the verge of exploding. It won’t end well. “I took a girl from Paris on purpose so as not to have a sow from Ile Rousse. I’m regretting having kids with you. » « I want to make you enter the window so much you excite me. I want to smash you. Get out, get your things and get out. When the recordings stop, the room is giddy with fear. And sadness.
As usual throughout these days of hearing, Bruno Garcia-Cruciani keeps his head bent between his legs during these interminable minutes. We only guess his shaved head through the window of the box. He nevertheless gets up at the request of the president who begins his interrogation.
“Do you admit to having killed Julie Douib, when you were her ex-partner? she asks.
– “Yes”, he answers.
– “Do you admit that you premeditated your action? »
– « Non. »
“For me, I had not touched it”
That is the whole point of this trial. Determine to what degree the act of Bruno Garcia-Cruciani was premeditated or not, this Sunday, March 3, 2019, when he shot his ex-companion, in Île Rousse, six months after their separation. To assess him, the president will question him at length. On the reason why he brought, from Toulon and unexpectedly, his sister with whom he was angry for many years, and his brother-in-law, on Saturday March 2, the day before the murder. On this sudden desire, on Sunday morning, to leave his children with this sister to regularize his situation with his shooting club where he only went very rarely and even though he no longer had an authorization to wear weapons? On this unexpected change of itinerary to go to Julie Douib’s apartment, to discuss the childcare schedule and to enter it weapon in hand? On this Friday evening 1is March where, after he allegedly overheard his ex-girlfriend having sex while walking behind the door of his home, he then searched his computer for keywords such as “sentence for homicide with a weapon”, “attempted murder », « lawyer in criminal law », as demonstrated by the computer expertise? A volley of questions like so many pebbles in the shoe of the defense whose objective of the argument, this Friday, January 27, should be to reduce the maximum sentence (life with 22 years of security) to which the accused had been sentenced at first instance, where premeditation had been retained.
Contrary to his attitude during this first trial before the Bastia Assize Court, Bruno Garcia-Cruciani has this time decided to be a little more verbose. But despite his efforts, he struggles to give answers. He can’t explain why he changed his route this Sunday morning, nor why he put his gun in his belt and a silencer in his back pocket to go to his ex-girlfriend’s house. He describes the scene: “I went up to her house, I took out my gun. I cocked it when she opened the door. I came home, she was surprised. She backed up to the children’s room. She continued to fold the laundry. We started the conversation about the children’s schedule…”
– ” A conversation ? By folding the laundry? With a gun in hand? asks the president, perplexed.
– “No, it was more me who was talking. She was frozen. I was screaming, what is this planning, sports teacher (Julie’s new companion, editor’s note) story? »
In the children’s room, when he has made Julie sit on the floor, a first shot rings out. Accidentally, he said.
– ” She is hurt ? asks the president.
– “No, I don’t see anything, I don’t hear anything. »
– “The neighbors heard screams. Imagine how she must have screamed. She must have told you to think about the children? We can imagine that she took you to this room thinking that it might be more protected, like a sanctuary? »
– ” I can not tell you. For me, I had not touched it. »
Julie is injured in the left arm, as evidenced by the expertise. She will try to escape him by taking refuge on the balcony.
– “What happens at this time? asks the president.
– ” I can not tell you. She hits herself, the second shot goes off… It’s the black hole…”
– “Is it the black hole or you don’t want to remember?” »
– “It’s not that I don’t want to. For me, I only made two shots, the second I can’t explain it to myself either. »
The experts however assured that three shots had been fired, including two on the balcony.
– “Presumably, she hurt her forehead, continues the magistrate. Experts say she fell like a lump. You didn’t catch it. »
– “I can’t explain it to you. »
– “The distance of the fatal shot was estimated between 5 and 20 centimeters, you know what it is, you are a shooter, you were very close to her when you shot? »
– ” I do not remember. For me, she was not on the ground. For me, the blow leaves when she falls. »
– “Mr. Garcia-Cruciani, you are before the Court of Appeal, it is perhaps the time to speak”, insists the president.
– “I am not minimizing anything. I did this act. If I had to do that, I opened the door, I fired, there was no witness and that’s it. »
– “Do you realize that she was still alive when you left?” »
– “The first thing I thought of was the children. »
– “Are you thinking about her?” »
Un long silence.
– “At the time, no. I thought I had to go home quickly to find the children before the gendarmes. »
“How can a father inflict this on his children? »
The rest of the interrogation is devoted to having him describe his family life before the tragedy, his behavior with Julie and those close to him, the progressive deterioration of relations, life after the separation. Then, the president offers him a spontaneous word:
– “What would you like to say to the court?” »
– “I’m not someone who talks a lot, I tend to keep things to myself. Not seeing my children anymore, it’s as if they weren’t there anymore. I can understand Mr. Douib. I ask their forgiveness for my gesture. I didn’t want to talk about it in the first instance. I thought I was in no position to say anything. »
When he is heard in the afternoon, Julie Douib’s father will express his doubts as to the sincerity of these regrets. “How can a father inflict this on his children? he wondered once again. Just before him, his son Jordan, upset, had said his incomprehension: “At the separation, he had legal custody. He had put her lower than the ground. He knew the price he would have to pay, he took the time to think, he listened to the advice of his brother-in-law who told him not to do stupid things, to think about the children. He left them, he executed my sister on the ground. He slaughtered her like an animal. And he was kissing his sons, with their mother’s blood on their heads and on their pants. »
