This Thursday, the jurors heard the pleadings of the civil parties as well as the indictment of the attorney general. The day continued with the pleading, Me Marc Preumont, lawyer for Daniel Gilles. The latter immediately announced that “The charge of murder is not contested. He killed his partner with 54 stab wounds.” He also ruled out the possibility of internment, emphasizing that Daniel Gilles is mentally capable of answering for his actions: “He is responsible for his actions, no question of mental illness.” While recognizing guilt, counsel then attempted to qualify his client’s responsibility. Far from wanting to exonerate the accused, the lawyer nevertheless insisted on the importance of not ignoring cocaine consumption in the genesis of the tragedy: “We will not put cocaine on trial, but it is impossible to remove this substance from the equation. It is one of the triggers of this tragedy.” He explained that his client, like any addict, was in a cycle of denial and lies, especially to himself: “Every time he promised to stop, he sincerely believed it. But the addiction always takes over.”
No manipulation, but a man in distress
Unlike the civil parties, Me Preumont refused to portray Daniel Gilles as a cold manipulator. “He loved Yohanne and the Giltay family. It was not because he manipulated her that he committed this act, but because of his distress under the influence of drugs.” The lawyer thus sought to humanize his client, evoking his acute awareness of the horror of his actions: “He knows very well that he destroyed Yohanne’s family and plunged his daughter into an uncertain future. But he did not do it in cold blood, and he did not premeditate it.” For Me Marc Preumont, Daniel Gilles is not a violent man by nature, but he acted under the influence of cocaine on two occasions, including the episode of February 2022. According to him, it is important to take into account THE “black holes” of the accused. “He has never denied having carried out the blows, but he is unable to remember the precise details of that night, as the horror of the events is so unbearable for him.”
Hope for her daughter
Me Preumont concluded his pleading by expressing hope for future resilience for the couple’s little daughter, now six years old: “It is terrible to think that everything is irreparable, but I believe in this child’s ability to overcome this trauma and rebuild herself. This is what I wish from the bottom of my heart. My client is aware of what he has done to his daughter and the Giltay family, but we must not fall into utter despair.” By reminding the jurors to remain critical of the evidence and interpretations put forward by the civil parties, Me Preumont implored the court not to further darken an already damning picture, by emphasizing the influence of cocaine and the absence of premeditation.
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