A mayor insulted even at her home by one of her gun-wielding residents in Seine-Maritime

See my news
Follow Le Réveil de Neufchâtel

Discontent and quarrel with a neighbor about an untrimmed hedge led a resident of Neufboscnear Neufchâtel-en-Bray (Seine-Maritime) aged 37 to go to the home of the mayor of his village to express his anger in harsh terms.

“Shit mayor” he would have shouted, as evidenced by the children and the spouse of the elected official.

At the mayor's home

On November 12, 2024, the man was summoned to appear before the Dieppe court. On the bench civil parties the neighbor who is also the first deputy of the municipality and the mayor took their place.

On the stand, the man contests. He explains that like last year he asked his neighbor to trim the hedge that borders their cul-de-sac:

It scratches my car.

But this time, the one who was also elected explained to him that this hedge was part of a agricultural fieldit was forbidden to touch it at certain times of the year to preserve biodiversity.

Anger of the neighbor who decides to go directly to the home of the first magistrate to express his anger. “You have no right to do that,” thunders the judge.

And added: “The home of an elected official is personal, his spouse and children do not have to suffer the wrath of those administered. If you want to have explanations or to lodge a protest for this, there is the town hall. You send a letter or an email or you show up during office hours.”

Driving without a license

Obviously the man does not see where the problem is and the magistrate must demonstrate a lot of pedagogy. Not sure that was enough. Aggravating detail which earned him another charge of prosecution, he went to the mayor's home by car while his license was suspended.

The neighbor is a civil party but is not claiming damages. The mayor asks to be reimbursed for a medical examination for her daughter who no longer wanted to sleep for fear that this man would set their house on fire. She also requests, through her lawyer, 1,000 euros in moral damages.

Weapons seized during search

Marion Meunier, Public Prosecutorhighlights how difficult the role of mayors, particularly in small towns, is.

Mayors are guardians of public order and as such they must be particularly protected.

It requires 6 months in prison with a probationary suspension of 18 months carrying an obligation of care, a ban on coming to the victims' homes and detaining a weapon.

It is this last point which seems to most upset the defendant who would like to recover weapons seized from his home during a search and in particular a shotgun. But the judge who followed the prosecution's requisitions confirmed the confiscation of the weapons and deprived the defendant of his passion for hunting by prohibiting him from possessing a weapon for 2 years.

He will also have to pay 375 euros in damages, all causes of damage combined, to the Mayor.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.