At the assizes in Nantes, the death of a man in a house fire, at the end of a turbulent evening

A complicated and dense affair, where different stories, numerous testimonies and hearings intertwine, has been on trial since Tuesday morning, November 5, 2024, before the Loire-Atlantique Assize Court.

On the night of May 10 to 11, 2022, firefighters intervened in Bouguenais, west of Nantes, for the fire of a cart, before moving on to that of a house, rue Edmond-Bertreux. Inside, the body of Amaury Berst, 35, who unofficially sublet this accommodation, was discovered in a bedroom upstairs.

Imprisoned for almost two and a half years

Among the people who spent the evening at the victim's house, two men find themselves facing the jurors today. Imprisoned for almost two and a half years, already convicted of violence, Teddy Gohaud, 24, is accused of having set fire to the house in which the thirty-year-old died, who had inhaled large quantities of smoke. Prosecuted for a crime, a young man of 21 years old is judged free for the fire of the cart.

In 2022, shortly before the night of the events, neighbors had called the police several times to complain about nuisances: arguments, noise from bottles and damage, against a backdrop of heavy consumption of alcohol and cannabis.

The main accused denies setting the house on fire. The verdict is expected this Friday, November 8.