At the Pyrénées-Atlantiques assize court,
They look sheepish in the box of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques criminal court, as if crushed by the weight of the facts. Wyssem Manai and Maxime Guyennon, both aged 25, are on trial until Thursday for intentional violence resulting in death without intention of causing it. The two men are accused of having beaten a 59-year-old bus driver on July 5, 2020 during an altercation linked in particular to wearing a mask. The victim, Philippe Monguillot, died five days later.
This Monday, the court returned at length to the scenario of the drama. Wyssem Manai, who landed the fatal punch, speaks at full speed. Dressed in a white shirt, this rather frail man cannot hide his nervousness. When he mentions the altercation with the driver who shows them the exit because they are not wearing a mask, the accused repeats, incredulously, “I was getting off anyway”. His sidekick, Maxime Guyennon, points out that, on the bus, out of around twenty people, only three are masked. On the video shown at the hearing, we can actually see that the closest people, a woman and a little girl, are not wearing them. When the driver arrives, they hurry to put it on.
“Before there were only words”
Around 2 p.m., Philippe Monguillot had already crossed paths with the two accused who had not validated their tickets. He had asked them to do it, even accompanying Wissem Manai to the terminal to explain how it worked. On the video captured during this scene, only slight annoyance is perceptible on the driver’s face. At 7 p.m., it’s a different story. The tone rises quickly. The bus driver quickly found himself surrounded by the two young men and two of their friends who had followed them on the bus. The driver headbutts Wissem Manai. “Before there were only words,” explains Maxime Guyennon, mid-length hair gathered in a duvet.
The altercation continued outside the vehicle. “I’m struggling as best I can, I don’t know what’s happening, I’m just taking hits,” says Wyssem Manai at full speed. I punch him twice.” Maxime Guyennon also recognizes a few blows to Philippe Monguillot, before restraining his sidekick. In the afternoon, the young people consumed alcohol. “My head was spinning, I wasn’t able to intervene long enough, usefully enough,” regrets Maxime Guyennon.
“I didn’t understand anything, it happened too quickly”
Wyssem Manai catches up with Philippe Monguillot who has got up and is heading towards his cabin. He punches him, causing him to fall heavily to the ground. “I was afraid he would catch me and it would start again,” Wyssem Manai tries to explain. I didn’t know he was going to fall like that… For me it was unimaginable that he would die. I didn’t understand anything, it happened too quickly. » Maxime Guyennon is also overwhelmed by the scale of the events. “I never thought that Mr. Monguillot was going to lose his life in this fight,” he slips. In police custody, we were told that he was in a coma, and then we began to understand that it was very serious. »
The main accused – the one who dealt the fatal blow – swears that when he learned of the victim’s state of health, he was “distraught and in tears”. “I’m not a monster, I’m a nice person,” he assures. His co-accused, Maxime Guyennon admits to having “ran like a coward” comments the latter. He addresses Véronique Monguillot, his widow: “I think about it every day, I apologize to you, even if they are useless. I thought about writing you a letter from detention, but I was afraid the words would be misinterpreted. » The civil parties will be heard this Monday at the end of the day.