The arrest of this armed Brest resident who had dozed off in an abandoned apartment in Escanaux on November 26 was eventful.
Laurent (first name has been changed) was arrested by the police on November 26 in an abandoned apartment in the Escanaux district of Bagnols-sur-Cèze. These snoring attracted the police who intervened in the building. In the young man's bag, the police discovered an automatic pistol. The gun is loaded and one of the bullets is “chambered and therefore engaged in the barrel”recalled the deputy prosecutor, Frédéric Kocher this January 31, before the Nîmes criminal court.
From Brest to Nîmes
The arrest of the suspect is eventful. Placed in police custody at the Bagnols police station, Laurent insults the police officers, spits in the face of one of them and threatens to “kill them”. Five police officers represented by Me Jean-François Corral joined as civil parties.
Laurent was born and lives in Brest in Finistère. In 2023, he was sentenced to 1 year in prison, including 6 months suspended, in an extortion case. He had obtained a measure which allowed him to serve his sentence at home then decided to join Gard and Bagnols-sur-Cèze
“I lost my job and I couldn't pay my debts anymore. And I looked for a solution. I needed money and I panicked”declares the defendant defended by Me Perrine Teissonnière. Laurent had never set foot in Gard.
An announcement via the Telegram platform
In Bagnols-sur-Cèze, drug traffickers were looking for lookouts. Laurent would therefore have found this plan, via the Telegram messaging platform, and joined Bagnols a few months ago. He had already been spotted by the police when the lookouts from Escanaux shouted and alerted the dealers. “I was offered to stay in this apartment and asked to keep this weapon to secure the neighborhood”agrees the defendant. I was forced to stay in the apartment. There have never been any drugs in this accommodation. It’s a place of rest.” “You were the neighborhood security guard?”notes a magistrate. “It’s a bit like that”agrees Laurent. In one of the SMS messages addressed to one of these acquaintances, Laurent announces: “I'm applying for social security in Bagnols to have a fire and an apartment.” “So you were someone who could be trusted.”continues the magistrate. “My hand was forced. And I needed money,” defends the defendant who was paid between 100 and 150 €.
The Nîmes criminal court followed the requests of the deputy prosecutor. Laurent is sentenced to 2 years in prison and returned to prison. This sentence is accompanied by a ban on staying in Gard and carrying a weapon for 5 years. He will also have to compensate the victim police officers.
