His distress was easily read on his face. Despite the absence of the accused, Barbara (not her real name) was clearly not at ease in the courtroom of the Rennes Criminal Court on Friday. Victim of threats from her ex-partner’s friend, she has lived in fear for a year. In October 2022, this woman aged around fifty saw her ex and one of his friends arrive at her home located in the Ille-et-Vilaine countryside. It was around 6:30 a.m. when the two men, in an advanced state of drunkenness, broke into the victim’s home. “They broke down two doors. I was woken up with a start and I was very scared. They threatened me. I had to flee my house in pajamas and slippers when it was 7 degrees outside,” Barbara remembers.
Her companion has already been sentenced to eight months in prison for immediate appearance for domestic violence. But not his friend, who had nevertheless threatened to kill the victim. “I’m warning you, I’ll kill you if I go to prison because of you,” said the defendant after breaking down the doors of the accommodation. “Today, there is always one that does not close and the other that is condemned,” explains the victim, unable to finance heavier work. “I wanted to share with you my great fear,” she declared, very moved, on the stand. Her lawyer believes that “the facts are established” and believes that her client “must be able to live peacefully”, recalling that she “constantly remembers that night”.
Already convicted on multiple occasions for theft, drug use and driving without insurance, the defendant received a six-month suspended prison sentence. In his absence, the court also ordered a ban on appearing at the victim’s home. The defendant, aged 38, will have to pay 1,000 euros in damages.