Stéphane Jobard is on trial before the Pyrénées-Orientales Assize Court for having fatally stabbed Benoit Tahoces in March 2021 at his home in Ille-sur-Têt. On the second day of the trial, this Friday, December 13, 2024, the president revealed the transcript of the victim’s last call to the emergency services. Before she was discovered lifeless 45 minutes later.
The assize court holds its breath, frozen with fear by a macabre countdown. Imagine Benoit Tahoces, desperately clinging to his phone. And to relive this last and terrible call for help of which the president reads the transcription.
On March 29, 2021, at 4 hours and a handful of minutes, the man, seriously injured, alerted the firefighters himself. “30 rue des Orangers. In Ille. I sheltered someone I thought was a friend, he stuck a knife in my heart”[…] “Is it bleeding?” “I can’t see, I’m in the dark. Come quickly, we have to break down the door […] Oh dear, I’m going to pass out.”[…] “Has the attacker left?” “I’m upstairs, he’s still there.“ The staccato words are interspersed with sighs. “The firefighters are coming, sir. I will put you in touch with the SAMU.”
The waiting message loops. Until a SAMU operator takes over, “I can’t breathe” the injured man confides to him. New waiting message… Then a doctor continues: “You can’t breathe?” “No”. […] “Help is coming, sir.” “They have to come quickly, he scares me.” “Who scares you?” At the end of the line, Benoit Tahoces is choking and no longer responds.
A few moments later, however, he picks up his cell phone again. “Hello sir. It’s the police.” “Come quickly.” “Where is the gentleman who stabbed you?” “On the first floor.” “I think he’s gone, he’s drunk” “What’s his name?” “Stéphane Jobard”. “Don’t move, eh, we’ll arrive” […] “You wait for the firefighters, they will come” “Okay”. This will be the last word from Benoit Tahoces.
At 4:19 a.m., firefighters were already in front of the house. They knocked and called but no one answered. In the time to alert the gendarmes as a security measure, to bring in a break-in group as reinforcement, the front door was broken down around 4:45 a.m. Benoit Tahoces had died…
Belgium
