This Tuesday, November 26, 2024, is the second day of the trial of murder of Zinedine in La Richeat the Assises of Indre-et-Loire. A second day marked by the passage to the bar of the civil parties, and the cry from the heart of one of the victim's sisters. What follows is the interrogation of the alleged murderer and a new version of the facts in which he pleads self-defense.
“I know that everything suggests that I wanted to kill Zinedine, but I had no reason to do it“assures the accused. He describes the victim as kind, who “partyed more than war”. A friend with whom he had no disagreements. And yet, this Christmas Eve 2021, everything changes.
That day, the accused explains hanging out with several people, drinking “three flashes”mixtures with vodka. It is in this La Riche parking lot that he meets Zinedine, installed with friends in his car. He says he greeted him, even offered to spend New Year's Eve together.which the victim would have refused. The accused states that he left for a few minutes before returning. There “I teased Zinedine. I don’t know what I said to her.” Witnesses on site speak of insults, speak to him of “joking pics”. “He got fed up, he got out of his car and we came to blows”he says, without knowing, according to him, who gave the first blow.
A new version of the facts
A version doubted by witnesses on site, recalls the lawyer for the civil parties, Master Abed Bendjador. He then says that they were separated before seeing Zinedine advanced behind him with a golf club. “I thought it was an iron bar, a katana.” It was after the shock he received on the head that he claimed to take his knife out of his jogging pocket.
The rest he doesn't remember. “I don’t remember putting the stab wounds anymore”he says before specifying that Zinedine impaled himself on his knife, the first time. The other six blows he delivered well, without having the slightest memory of them, while the two men fought on the ground. “During the last three years, haven't you put false memories on what happened? No witness ever spoke of a fight on the ground.”replied the lawyer for the civil parties. “No, I have been preparing for this trial for three years, sir.”retorts the accused.
“Are you pleading self-defense? the president then asks him. Enough to create a disagreement between him and his lawyer. A suspension of the session is even decidedbefore they came to an agreement. “I didn't think he was going to die. But I'm here to take responsibility for my actions […] I'm ashamed. I broke his family, my family, all the families here.” regrets the accused, still without a bit of emotion. “I will always have that on my conscience.”
At the time of the events, the accused explains that “[son] spirit has detached itself from [son] corps”. A sentence taken up by the lawyer for the civil parties. “The only one who escaped from his body was Zinedine!” The lawyer who doesn't believe in self-defense. “He doesn't recognize anything, he lies. He has been in a headlong rush for three years. If Zinedine was his friend, we owe the truth to a friend. We don't insult his memory, we don't insult his friends.”
A knife to defend yourself
During the hearing, the question of the presence of the knife came up widely. Known at La Riche to always have one on him, the accused specifies that he did not feel safe. “I had problems with people. I took the knife on the morning of December 24, because I had to cross La Riche. I took it in case a problem happened.” The man mentions an attack six months ago during which he allegedly received machete blows. An attack that he never spoke of during his meetings with the investigating judge, specifies the president.
The verdict is expected this Wednesday, during the day.
