Indeed, Me Philippe Culot considered that nothing linked his client to the burglary committed on September 10, 2017, in Dalhem, at the home of Philippe Gillain while the latter was traveling in Namibia. The lawyer also considered that his client should be acquitted of the prevention of breach of trust which was charged to him in the context of the sale of collectibles for Philippe Gillain.
The two men were friends for a long time. Marc V also looked after Philippe Gillain’s home in his absence. It was in this context that he took advantage of the residence to organize fine parties. All the people who participated in these evenings were interviewed in the context of this case, but none were suspected by the courts.
In the absence of the owner of the house, numerous objects belonging to one of the most important collections in Europe and consisting of flags, armbands, uniforms and Nazi insignia were stolen from his home.
The only one who can commit the acts
None of the items were found. The suspect also had to answer for breach of trust in the context of the sale of certain collectibles. During the previous hearing, the defendant completely denied the facts put against him. “Philippe Gillain knew exactly that it was in this box“, he said. “Several people were aware of the existence of this collection and other people had the key to the premises.“
The court considered the two charges established against the defendant. He awarded the civil parties a provisional sum of 150,000 euros concerning the burglary and a provisional sum of one euro concerning the breach of trust.
The court noted in particular the fact that the suspect was the only one to have the key to the premises, namely the place where the collection was located which was not covered by an alarm, to know the schedules of the people who worked on site , but also the family dog. Additionally, the front and rear doors were found locked after a flight that lasted several hours and required transportation. According to the judge, Marc V was the only one who could commit the acts. He benefited from a suspension of the sentence given the age of the facts.
Me Culot indicated that he did not understand this decision. “The court found that my client was guilty of default but a whole series of avenues were not explored.“The lawyer indicated that a decision on an appeal had not yet been made.
