Ullens trial in Nivelles: contradictory testimonies about victim Myriam Lechien
At the trial of Nicolas Ullens at the Assizes Court in Nivelles, those close to the victim presented conflicting accounts of Myriam Lechien.
Conflicting portraits of Myriam Lechien at the Nivelles hearing
The trial of Nicolas Ullens continued on Thursday at the Assizes Court in Nivelles, according to rtl.be. Those close to the victim, Myriam Lechien, came to the witness stand in turn, before character witnesses for the accused took the floor.
Nicolas Ullens, 61, is accused of killing his mother-in-law three and a half years ago in Lasne. The day before, testimonies had described the couple formed by Myriam Lechien and Guy Ullens as inseparable, "two lovesick teenagers".
A family friend: "generous, elegant, entirely simple"
Fanny Beck, a friend of Myriam Lechien's daughter and a witness for the civil parties, was the first to speak. "I was always an onlooker to a very happy couple. She was very generous, elegant, entirely simple and humorous," she stated. She added that she wanted to be present to support the victim's children after the tragedy. "After Myriam's death, I saw a devastated Guy Ullens," she concluded.
The accused's godson: "the atmosphere became icy"
The testimony of Christopher Ullens, who was absent from the hearing, was then read to the Court. Grandson of Guy and godson of Nicolas Ullens, he gave a substantially different account. "My godfather Nicolas Ullens was very close to me. He would do cannonballs in the swimming pool, he was funny. The age difference between us was only 15 years," he states. But the arrival of Myriam Lechien in the family changed everything, according to him. "When Myriam Lechien arrived, the atmosphere gradually became icy. Once, she saw me playing tennis and asked me what I was doing there, telling me I would have to make an appointment to come over," he testifies.
Christopher Ullens also spoke about his grandfather's personality. "My grandfather was a very cerebral person. He had difficulty with his feelings. At Christmas, he would give us a substantial envelope, graduated according to age. Afterwards it was Myriam who took care of it. After that, there weren't any more, without any explanation." He also noted an imbalance in how the family was treated: "I saw Myriam's children living in luxury, while I lived in accommodation with damp problems."
The accused's sister: "a psychologically violent couple"
The testimony of Brigitte Ullens, sister of Nicolas Ullens, was then read to the Court. She recounted the moment she learned of the tragedy. "On the day of the incident, Édouard Ullens called me to say there had been a tragedy. We hoped it was one of Dad's delusions because he was sometimes delusional. I finally got my father who told me: 'Your brother killed Mimi, she died instantly.' He told me he was sorry for what had happened."
Brigitte Ullens also described her father's state in the weeks following the murder, before he himself died. "My father kept saying he was sorry. He was often confused. He once said: 'I need to talk to Myriam, oh no that's right she's no longer here.'"
On the couple's dynamic, her judgment was harsh. "When my father got together with Myriam, it was the jet-set. We didn't understand, we weren't brought up that way. The couple was psychologically violent. Certain people told us it was torture."
Character witnesses in favour of Nicolas Ullens were to follow in the course of the day.
Source: Google News BE FR