Ullens trial in Nivelles: Nicolas judged for the murder of his stepmother in Lasne
The Walloon Brabant assize court is examining the murder of Baroness Myriam Lechien, shot dead in March 2023 by her stepson Nicolas Ullens de Schooten.
Two weeks of assizes to unravel a family tragedy within one of Belgium's great fortunes
The Walloon Brabant assize court convened on Monday 21 September 2026 in Nivelles to appoint jurors called upon to settle a murder case within one of Belgium's wealthiest families. The substantive proceedings will begin on Thursday 24 September and will span two weeks, according to lavenir.net.
The accused, Nicolas Ullens de Schooten, born in 1965, is charged with murder—a premeditated killing—of Myriam Lechien, known as "Mimi", his stepmother. The events date back to 29 March 2023 in Ohain, in the municipality of Lasne.
Six shots at close range following a visit to his father
That morning, Nicolas Ullens went to visit his father, Baron Guy Ullens, an industrialist who built his fortune in the sugar sector before investing in various companies, including Weight Watchers International through a Luxembourg holding company. The discussion between father and son remained calm, but Guy Ullens apparently did not accede to his son's financial requests.
Leaving the property at the wheel of an old Dacia, Nicolas Ullens caused a collision with the Golf in which his father and stepmother were travelling, just metres from the gate. A former member of the Belgian State Security service, hunter and competitive marksman, he had a 9 mm Glock in his vehicle that morning. He fired six times at Myriam Lechien, who was at the wheel.
Hit in the head and chest, she died at the scene. Guy Ullens, sitting in the passenger seat, was not targeted but was slightly injured in the thigh. It was he who raised the alarm by contacting his household staff. Nicolas Ullens left the scene.
A few minutes later, he presented himself at the Mazerine police station, announcing immediately at reception that he had just done something serious.
The "red mist" at the heart of the defence strategy
Nicolas Ullens repeated during his questioning that he had acted under the influence of intense anger, referring to a "red mist" before his eyes at the moment he saw his stepmother's face. The contents of these questioning sessions leaked to the press over the following months.
The charge of murder implies premeditation, an element that the defence, assured by Maître Jean-Philippe Mayence, is expected to contest. The lawyers could rely on this emotional state to attempt to influence the charge retained and, ultimately, the degree of criminal responsibility of their client. As practitioners in assize courts regularly recall, guilt for homicide does not require establishing motive, but rather the intention to cause death.
A remarriage that fractured the family
The family background is at least as complex as the facts themselves. In 1999, Guy Ullens remarried to Myriam Lechien, a Brussels businesswoman whom he had met whilst she was developing a pastry business on Avenue Louise in Brussels. The couple had four children on the Ullens side, two on the Lechien side, and none together.
According to the elements of the case file, Guy Ullens's children quickly had the feeling of being progressively sidelined, both in terms of affection and in the management of the family estate. Rare family gatherings were tense, and attempts at reconciliation never succeeded. Nicolas, described as very close to his father before this remarriage, saw him virtually no longer.
The tensions also took on a legal dimension: proceedings were brought in 2018 around financial and succession conflicts, without any resolution being reached before the tragedy.
An accused with no record, released at the opening of the trial
Arrested immediately after the events, Nicolas Ullens remained in detention for only a few months. From mid-October 2023, he benefited from an electronic bracelet. In March of this year, the courts granted the request for release filed by Maître Mayence. It was therefore as a free man that the accused appeared on Monday for the first day of his trial.
With no criminal record, he is described by experts as posing no social danger outside the very particular context of the tragedy. His brothers and sisters visited him regularly during his imprisonment.
Myriam Lechien was moreover known for her philanthropic commitments: she had founded the Mimi Ullens Foundation, dedicated to cancer patients. She and her husband had also distinguished themselves in the contemporary art world by founding the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, and supported orphans in Nepal through foundations.
Guy Ullens dies before trial
Baron Guy Ullens de Schooten, present at the time of the events and sole direct witness to the scene, died on 19 April 2025 of natural causes, at the age of 90. His death deprives the trial of testimony that might have proved decisive on the precise circumstances of the collision and the shots.
Source: Google News BE FR