The Angers court (illustrative photo).
Credit : Coralie Juret
After a week of re-evaluation of the file, the trial of the murder of a nonagenarian in Pontmain in 2020 ended this Wednesday at the last session of the year of the Assize Court of Maine-et-Loire. At first instance, the oldest received the heaviest sentence, 25 years of criminal imprisonment, compared to 22 years for the youngest. This Wednesday, they were reversed.
Since last week, the judges and juries had to measure the degree of responsibility of the two brothers in that night of April 5, 2020. After a burglary that went wrong, a nonagenarian received a fatal blow to the head. To cover up the crime, the kidnappers set the house on fire. The victim’s body was found charred.
“Unconvincing denials”
During the first day of the trial, the hearings made it possible to observe the different profiles of the two accused. The oldestmore talkative and aware of what he is, cooperates, when the youngest, influenceable and “too nice”gets lost, denies the facts and does not manifest “no form of empathy”. A behavior which, among other things, played a role in this reversal of sentence. He was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison for burglary and violence resulting in death. “His denials were not considered convincing by the jurors and judges.according to the President of the Court. The judge also pointed out the fact that the accused could vary in his statements, “a blind spot”.
For his part, the oldest was found guilty of complicity in burglary and violence resulting in death, and sentenced to 20 years of criminal imprisonment. The Court recognized “that he had provided precise and detailed confessions“. The two men were also sentenced to 10 years of ineligibility, 5 years of ban on carrying weapons, as well as a fine of €3,000 to be paid to each of the eleven members of the victim’s family who are made civil parties Finally, the Court does not request an obligation of care from the two accused, but indicates that “it can be useful to continue working on each person’s weaknesses“.
