Alcohol and cocaine evening in Huy: theft and knife threats before correctional court
A man from Huy appeared before the city's correctional court for theft with violence and threats with a bladed weapon. Lavenir.net reported a hearing marked by numerous contradictions.
Theft and threats with a bladed weapon after a night of celebrations in Huy
A man from Huy appeared before the city's correctional court on two separate charges: theft with violence during the night of 10 to 11 December 2024, and threats brandishing a bladed weapon assimilated to a machete on 29 June 2024. According to lavenir.net, the hearing was marked by numerous contradictions from the accused, his mimicry and his use of informal address towards the presiding judge.
The facts: an acquaintance put up for the night, a party that goes wrong
The first charge dates back to June 2024. The accused had displayed what he described as a "sword" to recover, according to him, a mobile phone and money that he claimed had been stolen from him. In this context involving drugs traffickers, he presented himself as the victim, claiming to have been stabbed.
For the second case, the prosecutor's deputy provided a clearer picture. The accused had met a vague acquaintance near Huy railway station. This person, a friend of a friend according to the defence, had asked to be put up for the night. A party then began: alcohol in abundance, lines of cocaine. When finances ran short to stock up at the neighbouring night-shop, the accused allegedly seized the victim's mobile phone and stole his watch.
The explanation put forward by the accused is puzzling: "Yes, but the mobile phone was to pawn it in exchange for a bottle of vodka," he clarified at the hearing. A bottle that was ultimately refused to them.
The prosecution submission: clemency with conditions
The public prosecutor concluded that both charges were established. The prosecutor's deputy nevertheless opted for a moderate position: "Even if the two protagonists do not question themselves too much, I request 200 hours of work for the woman and 20 months' imprisonment for the man, but I will not object to a suspended sentence."
The accused's companion—whose exact relationship with the accused is itself subject to debate—also appeared in court. Her lawyer described the case as "very complicated," arguing that she had merely suffered the events: "As soon as things got worse, she remained in the background." He requested acquittal, or failing that a suspension of the pronouncement, or even a very light work sentence.
The accused's defence: persistent areas of uncertainty
The accused's lawyer attempted to summarise a case which, according to him, could almost pass as an anecdote. The victim allegedly sought sexual relations with the accused woman; the accused allegedly opposed this and sought to turn away the intruder. "But where are the offences? The victim could have left whenever she wanted," he argued.
The defence furthermore highlighted the accused's lack of criminal record and his efforts at reintegration through vocational training, pleading for the court's clemency. The judgment has not yet been delivered.
Source: Google News BE FR