Roubaix. Drunk, he attacked three police officers after setting fire to a surveillance camera

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A 25-year-old man was tried by the tribunal from Lille (North) Wednesday October 30, 2024 for degradation of property, outrage et violence against several police officers. The facts date back to May 2023, when the individual managed to set fire to a surveillance camera in Roubaix thanks to a “ substance explosive“. It was a heavy-handed arrest, against a background of alcohol, which brought him before the court. Narrative.

Insults and beatings: a complicated arrest against a background of alcohol

It was 3:27 that night when the police received a report. A man actually tries to “reach the electrical system” of a surveillance camera, in order to set it on fire.using a can of gasoline and a blowtorch. When the police arrived, “the whole street was on fire”.

The police quickly spotted the individual who fled while walking in the opposite direction. They follow him but the man turns around and throws a screwdriver “at chin level” from one of the three police officers.

The defendant, described as “very agitated”, also attacks him with “ punches to the stomach“. The two other police officers then try to control him by “sweeping” him so that he falls. They speak of a complicated arrest where the individual was “handcuffed with difficulty”.

It must be said that he was heavily alcoholicthe breathalyzer confirming 0.99 mg/liter of exhaled air. “It was to give me courage”, justifies the defendant, who “vaguely remembers things”.

In the police vehicle, the journey to the police station is punctuated by insults: “I f… your mothers, you are dirty dogs, you sons of b…! », the man would have said.

However, according to him, the facts happened differently. “I didn’t know they were police officers,” he says. The young man explains a “violent arrest”: “They insulted me, insulted my mother and they slammed my face to the ground. I was punched in the face. »

“We need to do a cost-benefit analysis! »

If the defendant admits his actions in court, he justifies himself by his need for money. According to him, someone asked him to set fire to the surveillance camera, and suggested what equipment to take in exchange for money.

“I needed money, they had to pay me around a hundred euros,” he says. Surprised, the president scoffs: “One hundred euros is ridiculous, sir. We need to do a cost-benefit analysis! », reminding him that he faces several years in prison

farm.

Especially since the police officers, acting as civil parties, are asking for 2,500 euros between the three of them. The Roubaix town hall is claiming around 1,500 euros for the material damage caused.

For the prosecutor, “it is time for him to recognize his responsibility”. She recalls a “very large number of insults and insults”, which according to her, are “underestimated by the defendant”. The prosecutor also considers “particularly heavy consumption of alcohol”.

This is why it requires three years of imprisonment with one year suspended. An “exaggerated” sentence according to the defendant’s lawyer, who requests an “adaptation”. She is banking on the efforts the young man has made to find work since the incident. The latter also shares custody of his daughter. “He has done work on himself, he has a stable and healthy environment,” she assures.

Finally, the defendant receives two years' imprisonment including one year suspended. The sentence will be carried out at home, under an electronic bracelet. The young man also owes the sum of 1,800 euros to the three police officers and

1500 euros at the Roubaix town hall.

By Zoé Hondt

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