Repeat offender charged with death threats

A 38-year-old man with ten prior convictions appeared in court on Monday to face charges of making death threats against his partner and the mother of their child. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, with the revocation of a six-month suspended sentence from his last conviction, resulting in a total of two years in prison.

Court orders continued detention

The court also ordered his continued detention. The criminal court held an immediate session to try the repeat offender, who was being prosecuted for threatening to kill his wife by chasing her with a knife on two occasions. On October 28, the victim called the gendarmerie after taking refuge with her neighbors.

Law enforcement finds knife and accused

Law enforcement found the woman frightened, who explained that her partner had just threatened to kill her with a knife, which he had also used to slash her clothes. The accused was found asleep on a mattress with the knife planted in it.

Release and return to home

Due to a procedural issue, the man had to be released while awaiting a new summons, but after he had committed to not returning to his home, he went back there on October 29. A new argument then erupted, and according to the victim, the man threatened her again with the knife, saying: "I will break your face, I will make your face bleed."

Accused downplays the facts

At the court on Thursday, the accused, previously convicted ten times, including six times for violence, among which three were domestic violence, attempted to downplay the facts. The man admitted that he had taken a knife during the events of October 28, but only to slash his partner's clothes.

Victim's statements emphasized

Regarding the events of the following day, he claimed he had not taken a knife but admitted to having made death threats. While the accused had been released from prison in December last year, the public prosecutor mentioned during her arguments the case of a "man known for being violent," who had a certain "capacity for action."

Sentencing and probation

Facing his denials, the representative of the public prosecutor emphasized the "specific and consistent" statements of the victim, who is in a "situation of control." Two years in prison, with one year on probation for two years, were finally requested against the 30-year-old. While his lawyer, Me Viviane Genot, had asked the court not to place the accused in detention so that he could keep his job, the man was ultimately sentenced to 18 months in prison as well as the revocation of the six-month suspended sentence imposed during his last conviction. This was accompanied by continued detention.