At the North Assize Court, in Douai
The crime seemed carefully planned. It is a chilling story that the president of the Northern Assize Court told this Monday, during the first day of the trial of four men accused, one of organized gang kidnapping and murder. , and for others of complicity. The hearing is expected to last two weeks.
On May 27, 2019, around midday: A few hours earlier, she had just been kidnapped by four men in the parking lot of the Société Générale where she worked, in Lille.
Romantic breakup and cold anger
In the accused box, all eyes are on Jérôme Tonneau, 58 years old. A strong man with a shaved head, a pair of glasses above an anti-Covid mask. He is also accused of having paid three henchmen in their thirties, from a Roma camp in Lille, to take revenge on Nathalie Debaillie following a romantic breakup.
In this terrifying affair of cold anger, everything seems to have been planned down to the smallest detail: rental of two utility vehicles which were used in the kidnapping, location scouting, increased surveillance of the victim, purchase of a taser… The badge for entering the bank parking lot, a restaurateur friend provided it to Jérôme Tonneau.
The man also confessed to no less than three kidnapping attempts in a period of two weeks before the events. “I wanted to scare him,” he admitted during an interrogation. But either I was disturbed or I backed out. » He even went so far as to cross France to Sarlat, in Dordogne, where the victim’s brother ran a campsite. He thought he would find Nathalie there who sometimes went on vacation there. “I don’t know what would have happened if she had been there. It depends on his behavior. »
Impaired discernment
While the president continues, with supporting details, to list the facts, Jérôme Tonneau launches feverishly, head down, into taking notes in a notebook. Surprising behavior. With one hand resting on his forehead, he immerses himself in pages of writing.
“He’s a man who doesn’t seem to be ashamed,” remarks Nicolas, Nathalie Debaillie’s brother, present at the hearing. For him, “the monotonous unfolding of the facts is difficult to bear”. Did his sister struggle before dying, as investigators seem to attest? Or was she killed unconscious by a cutter blow to the throat, as the accused claims?
“The memories of his actions are vague,” insists his lawyer Jean-Philippe Broyart. He took a lot of pills right after. » An expert psychologist even estimated an alteration of discernment. When he is invited to speak, the accused stammers a few words, but seems determined to speak, promising to tell “the whole truth”.
A reward of 900 euros
At his side, the three other men, assisted by Romanian interpreters, deny having any knowledge of Jérôme Tonneau’s true plans. The investigation showed that their “leader”, Manu Dobrea, had received a reward of 900 euros. Money withdrawn by Jérôme Tonneau just before the death of Nathalie Debaillie, at 9 a.m. on May 27, from the ATM closest to the crime scene. With the victim’s bank card.
At 9:20 a.m., the latter was dead. The accused then left his home, as shown by a video surveillance camera. That morning, the last SMS sent by Nathalie Debaillie was dated 8:15 a.m., before leaving for work. It was intended for his new companion.
