The evening of Thursday, November 7 was eventful for the Ariège gendarmes, faced with a stormy intervention in the parking lot of a supermarket. At the origin of the facts, an individual well known to the police, a repeat offender and under the influence of alcohol.
Vehicle theft and dangerous driving
It all started with the theft of a utility vehicle by a man who already had a history of drunk driving. As reported by La Dépêche, after having consumed 75 cl of vodka and a tranquilizer, the man took to the road, determined to stock up on alcohol. His race ends abruptly when he hits a guardrail in a supermarket parking lot. Alerted by this incident, the police, on patrol nearby, intervened quickly.
But their mission will not be easy. In an advanced state of intoxication, the man appeared aggressive and incoherent, forcing the soldiers to postpone the alcohol test until the next day. This will still reveal a level of 0.39 mg/l of exhaled air, or 0.78 g/l of blood, indicating excessive consumption.
Provocative and threatening behavior
Placed in police custody, the night did not calm the offender's attitude. Insults, threats of reprisals against the gendarmes and obscene gestures marked the interrogation. During the security pat-down, the man even repeated an obscene gesture that he had already made a few months earlier during a previous arrest by showing his buttocks. He even cites a school proximity between his children and those of the agents to intimidate them.
An audience marked by dependence and repentance
Before the Foix judicial court, the repeat offender tried to justify his actions by his alcoholism. “I'm not a bad person. I have to go to rehab, these three days in prison have destroyed me,” he declared on the stand. His lawyer spoke of her client's distress and the repercussions of his addiction on those around him: “His loved ones are distraught.”
A firm condemnation
Despite the defense's arguments, the repeat offense and the defendant's behavior weighed heavily. The magistrates sentenced him to 6 months in prison with continued detention, accompanied by an obligation of care and compensation for the victims. His driving license was also revoked, marking a strict but measured sanction in relation to the prosecution's requisitions.
