“I am innocent, the proof I am not in prison”: the reaction of Noël Azzopardi sentenced to 12 months suspended prison sentence in Béziers

Pour les associations, l'essentiel est que les animaux ne soient plus victimes de maltraitance. Diane Petitmangin – Midi Libre

Reactions to the conviction of Noël Azzopardi, the president of the Arche de Noël, an animal shelter in Béziers, have been numerous since the Béziers court delivered its deliberations this Monday, June 17. Including that of the main person concerned who never wanted to speak to journalists, preferring to insult them. For their part, representatives of the associations say they are satisfied to see that Noël Azzopardi will no longer be able to manage an animal shelter.

This Monday, the Béziers criminal court delivered its deliberations in the case of animal abuse and clandestine breeding. The Christmas Ark was sentenced to a fine of 10,000 euros with provisional execution. The Biterroise association will also have to pay large sums to numerous animal protection associations, which considerably increases the bill. All this is accompanied by provisional execution, that is to say with immediate effect, even if the complainant appeals the judges' decision.

The Christmas Ark was permanently closed by the Béziers court. Noël Azzopardi, for his part, was sentenced to 12 months in prison with suspended probation. He no longer has the right to exercise professions related to the animal world. He also received 2 fines of 200 €. For the time being, confirmed Me Philippe Nicolas, his lawyer : &quot ;He is considering the possibility of appealing, but I have not heard anything."

"I am free and not a day in prison"

On the Facebook page of Midi Libre Béziers, Noël Azzopardi reacted to the numerous criticisms concerning him: "It’I was the one who wanted my animals to be taken. The police and veterinarians are witnesses. I am at the age where I want to live in peace. I have nothing to reproach myself for because I have made many dogs happy, more than two hundred per year. The court had the evidence, despite the search of my house, they found nothing. The proof is that I am free and not one day in prison as some have said. So there is justice. Like it or not, I have a clean criminal record despite the jealous people and the lies around the shelter. This is proof."

This is very good news

For Stéphane Lamart, the president of the eponymous association: "The judges' decision is satisfactory. I am delighted, especially with the closure of this shelter and the ban on working with animals. It’s the end of a nightmare for dogs. This is the result of incredible work on the part of our association. We were forced to appeal to the Attorney General to relaunch this case, but the result is there. We expect him to appeal, but we will monitor him because we have suspicions that his activity will stop completely. We must also ensure that it closes all means of contact with the public and destroys its facilities."

"Justice has been firm"

For Me Grillon, the lawyer of the Stéphane Lamart association: "The deliberations are as good as their behavior in court. He is an incredible actor who made fun of the judges and who was afraid of nothing. He was a little too quiet. This was detrimental to him. Justice had a firm hand. This decision was expected. I'm not saying that he did anything all the time, he probably even did good work for a while. But not lately. Unfortunately for him, he was not credible in front of the judges and he did not convince anyone. The court made the right decision. He can no longer run a shelter. This is the main thing. The severity of the court reflects the seriousness of its pedigree. We expect his appeal, but he will then have to be wary of the Montpellier Court of Appeal which is very precise in its judgments concerning animals. It’s a risk. In the meantime, the Christmas Ark is finished."

He will no longer mistreat a single animal

Me Coline Robert, the lawyer for One Voice, through whom the scandal came to light via a filmed infiltration, is also very satisfied with the sanction imposed on Noël Azzopardi. "He will no longer mistreat a single animal. This is the most important. This decision is in accordance with the requisitions of the public prosecutor. Maybe even a little more severe. The most important thing is that all the animals are saved. We succeeded. From now on, we will continue to monitor him so that he respects this decision of the judges. We have information that is not going in the right direction. He would start breeding dogs again. As soon as it becomes relevant, we will do what needs to be done. He must no longer harm animals and even less those who defend them properly."

Noël Azzopardi has ten days to appeal the court decision of the Béziers court. For now, until the end of the appeal period, nine more days, he is considered innocent.

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