Three years' detention for aggravated theft in Estaimpuis
An individual without authorisation to reside has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment for violent theft committed in western Hainaut at the end of 2021.
Three years' detention for aggravated theft in Estaimpuis
A court has imposed a sentence of three years' imprisonment on a defendant who was in an irregular administrative situation on Belgian territory. The sentence concerns several thefts, including an offence involving physical assault that occurred in Estaimpuis.
The facts took place in October 2021. The accused had broken into a commercial vehicle belonging to a building professional to steal a wallet. Spotted by two workers, he put up brutal resistance. The public prosecutor's representative stated that the attacker had struck one of the two workers, notably on the ribs, and had bitten him on the upper limb. The second worker had been injured on the lower limb. A blade weapon had been produced during the altercation.
Video footage had captured the beginning of the events. The wallet had been found hidden behind a rubbish skip.
The case also contained three other offences dating back to February 2021. The man was prosecuted for having stolen personal items — a bag, money and a telephone — from parked vehicles.
Before the judges, the defendant changed his initial defence. He contested having entered the van, claiming to have been looking solely for cigarettes. He claimed to have been the victim of an assault, mentioning the loss of several teeth. Regarding the sharp object, he minimised the matter by presenting a key ring accessory.
His lawyer pleaded for an alternative sentence, pointing to the absence of a criminal record. The defendant, speaking in poorly assured French, requested clemency by recalling his irreproachable behaviour over the past four years.
The public prosecution had requested two years, with one part subject to a suspended sentence. The magistrates ultimately decided on a more severe sanction. The final decision will be handed down on 23 July.
Source: DHnet