the gas station robber sentenced to five years in prison 21 years after the facts

After 21 years of silencethis Tuesday, January 21 Here Gard Lozère reports that the Gard Assize Court sentenced a 49-year-old man to five years in prison for a series of nine robberies at gas stations between 2003 and 2004.

Among the places affected by his actions was Vaucluse, but also Gard and Hérault, where he raged, accompanied by an accomplice, on a motorcycle and armed with an imitation revolver.

At the time, this man's robberies sowed fear among the victims, some of whom came to testify about their traumatic experience.

A past of drift and delinquency

Originally from the Prés-Saint-Jean district in Alès (Gard), the accused had a childhood marked by bad company and addictions to alcohol and drugs.

At the age of 17, after leaving school, he found himself caught in the cycle of delinquency, in search of easy money. After these numerous robberies, he fled to Switzerland, where he was incarcerated for another armed robbery, before going to Algeria in the hope of starting all over again.

A new life in Algeria

Once in Algeria, the man married, started a family and started a business in hydraulic works. However, it didn't take long for his criminal past to catch up with him. A European arrest warrant led to his arrest and return to France.

This return, 21 years after the events, led to his trial, where he admitted the robberies and expressed sincere regret. He also apologized to the victims, although some of them have vague memories of the events.

A five-year sentence

Although the attorney general requested ten years, the sentence imposed was five years, taking into account the defendant's redemption and his efforts to rebuild his life after these events.

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