Prison sentence for two burglars caught in a house north of Montpellier

Les deux hommes s’éclairaient dans la maison à l’aide de lampes torches. Midi Libre – RICHARD DE HULLESSEN

The two men were caught on Thursday, October 3 by a home video surveillance system and arrested by the police in a house in La Valsière in Grabels. Despite their denials, they were sentenced to eight months and one year in prison with continued detention.

Two men living in Gignac and Juvignac were sentenced to eight months and one year in prison this Monday by the Montpellier judicial court. Their responsibilities in the attempted burglary of a villa located in the La Valsière district, Thursday October 3rd a little after 9pm, were retained by the judges despite their strong denials.

Spotted by the cameras

The two men, who were illegal immigrants, had been filmed by the video surveillance system installed in the house. The owner had therefore alerted the police. On the tapes, one of the individuals had taken care to turn the angle of a camera towards the sky.

Hooded, their hands covered by socks, the two accomplices had been found in possession of a bag belonging to the occupant of the premises. However, in court, they strongly denied the attempted burglary, explaining that they had been driven there by a third person to spend an evening. “We got trapped”assured Omar, a Moroccan who has been in France for 5 years, living in Juvignac and already convicted of aggravated theft. Next to him, Ahman, 25, originally from Algeria, says he no longer remembers why he was in possession of the bag. He is also being prosecuted for not giving his real identity during his hearings and also has a conviction for theft.

Continued detention

“We don't know why they would have wanted to set them up. They have socks on their hands. There is no break-in but they are doing everything with a flashlight, the premises have been searched. “They were carrying out a burglary”  assures the prosecutor in his submissions. For Omar, he is requesting one year of imprisonment and continued detention. Eight months for Ahman. "There is no detailed, material evidence" contested the lawyer of one of the defendants pleading for acquittal. An argument that did not convince the court, whose decisions were in line with the prosecution's requests. Omar and Ahman were also banned from French territory for ten and three years.

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