The public prosecutor is requesting the revocation of the probationary suspension he obtained following a 2022 accident where his blood alcohol level was higher than that authorized by law. The suspended sentence required him, among other things, to follow VIAS training, provided for traffic offenders, training which he did not follow.
“I am 89 years old, explains the Bertrigeois, in a loud voice interspersed with moments of silence as if he had to delve deep into his memory. Before the first judge, I accepted the conditions imposed on me, but very quickly my health deteriorated significantly. Then I had problems with both knees which prevented me from moving around. I've had infiltrations done three times and it's getting better. Today, I only take my car to do my shopping, 7 km from the small isolated village where I live and where there are no shops. Without it, I would only have to eat ready-made meals that can be put in the microwave.”
No more alcohol, but still a “little drink” at New Year’s
“My client had an accident, pleads his lawyer, Me Corentin Verdure. He takes responsibility for everything. He has no other criminal record and he directly compensated for the damage. The reprieve imposed on him was justified, but today, at his age, he does not feel at all capable of following the VIAS training. I ask you to transform his probationary suspension into a simple suspension or, if impossible, to modify the probationary conditions by removing the obligation of VIAS training and to replace it with regular blood tests which will reassure the court of his abstinence at the time. alcohol. It will ultimately be more productive.”
What followed was a lunar exchange where President Thomas asked the defendant if he was totally abstinent, which the old gentleman confirmed with conviction. Mrs. Thomas insisted, asking him if he wouldn't have one or two small drinks at Christmas or New Year. “Ah, that’s not the case, don’t exaggerate”he replied.
The judge, the representative of the Public Prosecutor's Office, Marie Olivier and the defense lawyer debated together to imagine a humanist solution for the almost nonagenarian.
The judgment will be delivered on January 23.
