Me Preumont, lawyer for Daniel Gilles, began his argument at around 2 p.m. “Mr Gilles is not asking you to answer “no” to the question of whether he committed murder on Yohanne Giltay on the night of February 8 to 9, 2022. He pleads guilty. “
Me Preumont recalls that, according to the psychiatrist who looked into Daniel Gilles, “his powers of discernment were seriously impaired but not abolished at the time of the events”due to his consumption of alcohol, cannabis and cocaine, in the form of sniffing and crack. “Mr Gilles is also mentally responsible for his actions“, further specifies the lawyer of the accused.
“We will not make the trial of Mr Gilles the trial of cocaine. His trial is that of a man who consumed products from a very young age. He never stopped using alcohol and cannabis. These addictions and cocaine use are, however, part of the trial. He had consumed, that’s undeniable. This trial must be an opportunity to assess the dangerousness of narcotics. Cocaine is a violent poison that causes death. He used to frequent artificial paradises so as not to be withdrawn from others. Some people have an addictive temperament and getting into this system can have terrible consequences. “
If the accused pleads guilty, his counsel draws up the outlines of this guilt. “There is no need to add more darkness to this picture, the horror is sufficient in itself. Yohanne Giltay was a remarkable woman. She accompanied me to the court of appeal following the attempted murder of which she had been the victim in defense of her partner. It’s not easy for him to communicate what he thinks. He is aware of having destroyed Yohanne’s family, a family that he loved very much and into which he had integrated. We are in the middle of a field of human ruins.“
“I understand the family’s need for logical explanations. But there is an element of irrationality in this trial. The accused is incapable of providing all the explanations, but one should not try to invent them. Exactly what happened we will never know, but we cannot allow ourselves to assume.”
Me Preumont returns to his client’s state of mind at the time of killing Yohanne Giltay. “Daniel Gilles does not have a past as a violent man. What he does in 2022, he does it under influence, and not in cold blood, in a considered manner. 54 stab wounds is extraordinary. Previously, he had never hit anyone. He completely went out on his own and then mutilated himself by stabbing himself in the thighs. Once on the stretcher, he ripped out the IVs and jumped out. from the ambulance, telling the police to kill him, to let him die. His judgment was seriously impaired. To the investigating magistrate who questioned him on his hospital bed, he immediately admitted to having stabbed him without being able to do so. explain the exact process.”
The accused spoke last, turning to the civil parties: “When I met Yohanne in 2013, we had lots of good times. This drug, cocaine, came later and I fell completely into it. I always took it again. After the attempted murder in 2018, I promised you I wouldn’t do it again. You forgave me and I betrayed you. I fell back into my addictions. I took this crap again and I did the irreparable. It’s the worst betrayal. I regret more than anything. Yohanne is my lover, we had everything to be happy and I destroyed everything. I miss Yohanne terribly. I never thought such a tragedy could have happened. The last thing Yohanne saw was her darling in complete dementia stabbing her. It’s a disaster. I could never have invented a black hole. But it is real. What I remember, I said.“
The jurors retired to deliberate on the guilt of Daniel Gilles at around 3 p.m.
Assizes of Namur: according to the attorney general, “The accused knew the risk of his cocaine consumption”
