Istres: six months in prison for man under nitrous oxide who threatened police officers with weapon
Tony G., 29, has been sentenced to six months in prison for brandishing a category B weapon and threatening police officers whilst under the influence of nitrous oxide.
Istres: six months in prison for man under nitrous oxide who threatened police officers with weapon
A man in his thirties was tried and sentenced to six months in prison by the Aix-en-Provence tribunal. He had been arrested on 16 April whilst in possession of a category B weapon and threatening police officers, all whilst under the influence of nitrous oxide.
Tony G., 29, had been released from prison in December 2025. He was still wearing an electronic bracelet following a previous conviction to two years in prison for domestic violence and weapons possession handed down in May 2024. The device was supposed to be removed on 21 July 2026.
On the evening of 16 April, officers intervened in Istres for neighbourhood disturbances. They found the defendant in his vehicle, surrounded by bottles of nitrous oxide. He also possessed a firearm and a bag containing €10,000 in cash.
Before the court, the man in his thirties admitted to having "really done something stupid". He explained that friends had started inhaling nitrous oxide for his sister's birthday, and that he had then lost control. "Whenever I do balloons, I become paranoid. I got the weapon to feel safe. I had the impression that people wanted to attack me," he stated.
When questioned about the source of the weapon, he refused to name names, saying he did not want to "get people into trouble". Regarding the sum of money, the defendant said it was his savings.
The tribunal ultimately sentenced Tony G. to six months in prison, a sentence lower than that requested by the public prosecutor. He was also tried for breaching his electronic bracelet. The magistrate, however, emphasised that the use of nitrous oxide did not constitute a mitigating circumstance.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)