the essential
The jurors and magistrates of the Assize Court withdrew to deliberate this Wednesday late morning after the defense's final arguments. One of the accused, against whom the attorney general requested 22 years of imprisonment on Tuesday, attempted to end his life.
“Sorry, but I can’t go back to prison for something I didn’t do!” Me Axelle Chorier spoke one last time for Florian T, 28 years old this Wednesday morning. She read a letter from her client. This child from Izards, a Toulouse district, should have spoken like the five other accused. But around 7 a.m., in an emergency, he was hospitalized in Purpan. He was in fact discovered unconscious by a member of his family after having ingested pills.
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Free under an electronic bracelet, this relative of Mehdi, one of the cousins of Family H, visibly had a hard time with the charges brought against him in his indictment by the general counsel. Virginie Audebert estimated that he was the second shooter on the morning of the incident, Sunday March 17, 2019 at Izards. She requested 22 years of criminal imprisonment against him, as for Abdelkader H who admitted on Monday to being one of the shooters.
“The weight of the neighborhood”
Me Axelle Chorier contested this role during her pleading, expressing surprise that Florian T was presented as the second hitherto unknown shooter. “A hypothesis was never seriously raised during the investigation and it was not even the subject of a single question before the Assize Court,” said the defense lawyer.
This Wednesday morning, Me Alexandre Martin carries “the weight of the neighborhood” to defend Abdelkader H. The only accused to admit his involvement in this attempted murder. A strong boy of almost 25 years old who is experiencing serious health problems with already two heart attacks. And he was also the subject of a knife attack in detention. “It’s difficult not to establish a link with this case,” insists Me Martin.
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Finally, Me Edouard Martial speaks in defense of Aymen H, designated as the main instigator of this coup. “The only one to have a real interest in this attempt to settle scores after having been chased out of the Izards’ deal points,” according to the prosecution’s argument. 18 years of criminal imprisonment were requested. “For lack of evidence, the weight of rumor fuels this detective story,” denounces Mr. Martial.
The jurors and magistrates of the Assize Court retired at 11:30 a.m. for their deliberations. They must answer 70 questions.
The verdict is expected at the end of the day.
