A 17-year-old victim and her 25-year-old attacker met in court in Saint-Martin on Wednesday, September 3. The issue was a $50 debt that resulted in an assault two years later.
A minor at the time of the events, TM is accompanied by his mother on the civil party side.
“Yes, I’m asking for compensation for the moral damages inflicted on me,” the young man announced at the start of the hearing. JJ, the defendant, was called to the stand: “TM owed $50 to a woman who is dear to me. She’s like my second mother, so I got involved so he would pay his debt,” he said. “Also, I wanted to show him what it was like to have his things stolen.”
On March 14, 2024, JJ followed TM as he entered a restaurant in Saint-Martin. The videos showed the defendant loitering outside the establishment, displaying threatening behavior, before committing the act. Armed with a knife, the defendant grabbed the victim as he left and took him to an adjacent alley. He punched and kicked him, and stole his headphones and the money he was carrying.
"The defendant doesn't work, he has no roots, he uses cannabis daily, and he dares to play the vigilante by beating people in the street. This is unacceptable," said the deputy prosecutor.
"I was wrong, I shouldn't have acted like that," the defendant defends himself.
Found guilty as charged, JJ received a first criminal record. He will have to pay a €400 fine and €300 to the victim for moral damages. _LM
https://faxinfo.fr/en/tribunal-un-homme-condamne-a-verser-700e-pour-violence/
