This Wednesday, November 20, 2024, Pierre Palmade appeared before the Melun criminal court to answer for the facts that occurred during a tragic road accident in February 2023. The comedian, now aged 56, is on trial for “aggravated unintentional injuries”. The seriousness of the case is due not only to the violence of the impact, but also to the repeat offense of the accused, already convicted in 2019 for drug use.
The accident, which occurred in Seine-et-Marne, shocked an entire family. That evening, under the influence of cocaine, Pierre Palmade collided head-on with a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. In the car, a man, his 6-year-old son, and a young woman six months pregnant, all seriously injured. The latter also lost the fetus she was carrying, a tragedy which aroused strong emotion on a national scale. From now on, Pierre Palmade faces up to 14 years in prison and a fine of 200,000 euros, a sanction increased by his status as a repeat offender.
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Trial of Pierre Palmade: the victims testify, the actor explains how he got into drugs
For the first time since the accident, the victims took the stand, providing moving testimony. The father, still recovering, described his daily life marked by persistent pain and the difficulty in overcoming this traumatic event. The mother of the deceased fetus, visibly moved, testified to his insurmountable grief and the irreversible impact on his family.
Pierre Palmade was then invited to speak. In front of an attentive court, he apologized by turning directly to the victims: “I beg your pardon”he declared, visibly upset. However, this gesture was rejected by the opposing party, who outlined a nod to express his refusal to accept his words.
Concerning his addiction, Pierre Palmade declares: “At the beginning, it was a drug that cured me of my discomfort with being homosexual. I became aware of being a cocaine addict around the age of 35. I understood at that age that I had a problem with drugs (…) Coc’ is bad because it’s good”. Subsequently, the fifty-year-old claims to have tried to stop taking drugs, “but I relapsed”he admitted.
Trial of Pierre Palmade: the comedian expresses a radical choice
The comedian also gave his version of the facts concerning the accident. He thus confided that he did not remember anything, attributing this blackout to the effect of narcotics.. “We don't feel tired when we're drugged, we no longer feel the notion of caution, of legality“, he explained, before adding: “I blame myself for having taken the road (…) I'm not denying anything by telling you this. I'm a careful car driver because of my dad's car accident.“.
Subsequently, Michèle Laroque's sidekick announced a radical choice since the tragedy: “I will never drive again in my life, I am traumatized”, he assured, his voice a bit quavering. “I am dangerous on drugs”he assures. An expected speech for the Court.
