The main thing to remember
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- This is the last day of the trial of Nordahl Lelandais before the Assize Court of Isère in Grenoble. The accused, who is 39 years old this Friday, had the opportunity to speak one last time to express himself on the facts of which he is accused: for the Maëlys case (kidnapping, kidnapping and murder), for the assaults sexual assaults on two second cousins and for possessing child pornography.
- Within three minutes, he renewed his apologies to the families “whom he hurt” and recognized “all the facts for which I am sincerely reproached”. He promised he would “start serious work” on him.
- The jurors and the Court, a total of nine people, retired around 9:20 a.m. to deliberate in secret.
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10:00 a.m. The wait for the families and their lawyers. Here, Fabien Rajon, lawyer for Maëlys’ maternal family, with files and 23,000 pages!
– Nicolas Peronnet
9:22. The room empties. Maëlys’ parents and other family members have just left. They are all wearing black sweatshirts with a picture of the little girl. We do not know how long the deliberation may take. In Chambéry, for the trial of the murder of Arthur Noyer, the jurors had retired closer to six o’clock.
9:21 a.m. In cell. For his part, Nordahl Lelandais. was taken to the chamber of order, a room in the Grenoble courthouse where he will await the verdict.
9:20 a.m. Fifteen questions. The president of the court, Valérie Blain, read the fifteen questions to which the jurors will have to answer. She read them a text of law saying that they will have to judge according to their intimate conviction. These fifteen questions list three crimes and four misdemeanors. They have just retired to deliberate, in all nine people will debate in secret, six jurors and three magistrates. The jurors will vote by secret ballot.
9:17 a.m. The last speech of Nordahl Lelandais
“As I told you on Friday, I sincerely acknowledge all the facts for which I am accused. I know that the families will never accept my apologies but I present to them with the greatest sincerity.”
“I’m going to start serious work on myself, I’ve heard the experts. I’ve already started but I’m going to deepen. I apologize to all the families I have hurt.”
The president concludes: “Do you have anything to add?”
Nordahl Lelandais: “No, Madam President.”
9:16 a.m. Reprise. The hearing resumes. “Accused, stand up!” Nordahl Lelandais has the floor one last time. The Court will then retire to deliberate. It is not known when she will deliver her verdict. During all this time, the accused will be locked up in a cell in the courthouse.
9:15 a.m. The words of big sister, Colleen De Araujo. She, too, had not spoken in front of microphones and cameras. Aged 16, said she was satisfied Thursday with the requisitions made by the general counsel during the trial of Nordahl Lelandais. Jacques Dallest asked for life imprisonment with a 22-year security sentence. “The truth, I expect it, not too much, I feel helpless. I had hope that he would tell the truth, I had hope, it saddened me. I find it a shame because he could have freed himself, been worthy.”
“I had hope that he was telling the truth” – Colleen De Araujo, sister of Maëlys
9:12 a.m. the rights of defense were preserved “from the tumult of the outside”. He had not yet spoken publicly since the start of his client’s trial. “I told the president, she knew how to preserve this sanctuary that is an assize court from the tumult of the outside. It was an extremely tough trial. Me, what I remember, in a place which is obviously complicated, we knew it, it is the place which has been reserved for the rights of the defense which are attacked from all sides, not particularly in this file.
“If I could be an example for future young colleagues (…) so that a lawyer always stands up when the question of the rights of the defense arises” – Alain Jakubowicz, lawyer for Nordah Lelandais
9:08 a.m. The courtroom is full. The ranks of the civil party are particularly filled to attend the last words of Nordahl Lelandais and the departure of the Court and the jurors in the deliberation room. Alain Jakubowicz, the defense lawyer has just arrived. The public still arrived very early and even last night for some, people slept in front of the steps of the Grenoble court to be sure of being in the courtroom.
8:59. The portrait of Maelys. This frame has stood at the entrance to courtroom number 6 since the start of Nordahl Lelandais’ trial. Bouquets and candles were left by the public present at the trial. Some also left a note or a drawing.
– Veronique Pueyo
8:55 a.m. Arrival of Joachim De Araujo. Maelys’ father is mobbed by the media for this last day.
– Nicolas Peronnet
8:50 a.m. Maëlys’ mother has arrived. She wears a sweatshirt with a photo of her daughter Maëlys printed on it. In the courtroom too, some relatives of the child wear a T-shirt with a photo of the girl on it.
– Veronique Pueyo
8:45 a.m. The maximum penalty incurred. Thursday morning, the Advocate General delivered his indictment. “You will do justice to Maëlys by declaring Nordahl Lelandais a major criminal, a major predator and condemning him to life imprisonment, with a security period of 22 years.” This is the maximum sentence incurred by the accused, the investigations having not made it possible to retain the sexual motive, therefore no rape on the eight and a half-year-old girl, killed on August 27, 2017. Jacques Dallest: “We did not retain the charge of rape on a legal level, because we do not have evidence. The body was found six months later. I conclude that a sexual act was imposed on Maëlys. I can’t prove it. The Court is obliged to respect the law.” The Advocate General spoke directly to the accused at the end of his indictment on Thursday morning: “What just punishment? Nordahl Lelandais you destroyed a life in April 2017, in August 2017 you assaulted two young children, you destroyed families. You are a destroyer of happiness, the slaughterer of a child. A child killer is the most ruthless face of death. He must be sent to prison as a great criminal.”
8:34 a.m. The defense tried to demonize Nordahl Lelandais. Through three pleadings, the defense lawyers have attempted Thursday afternoon to soften the image of Nordahl Lelandais not denying the facts, but far from the “monster” portrayed in the media. How did the accused become “that crazy car with no brakes”, coasting? The abduction on the evening of the wedding, he does not dispute. He goes further. “It’s awful”, says Alain Jakubowicz. The defense lawyer recognizes that there is no other credible explanation than that of Nordahl Lelandais. The sexual motive and what really happens next in the car? “There, there is a moment when even lawyers go into airplane mode. The truth is, I don’t know.” He addressed the jurors: “The hypotheses of conjectures are not proofs. In law, they are called doubts. The intimate conviction is not the intimate supposition.” The defense attorney asked the court and the jurors for a just sentence by not giving “resonate with public opinion”.
8:28. An accused, detained, already convicted. Nordahl Lelandais will undoubtedly be condemned at the end of this day. He appears already detained and was sentenced on May 11, 2021 to twenty years’ imprisonment for the murder of Arthur Noyer by the Assize Court of Savoy, in Chambéry. He was convicted of intentionally kicking the 23-year-old soldier to death. It was in April
8:27 a.m. Birthday. Coincidence of the calendar, the day of this verdict is also the birthday of Nordahl Lelandais who is 39 years old today.
8:25 a.m. The program of the day. At the start of this fifteenth day of hearing, Nordahl Lelandais will speak one last time at 9 a.m. to speak about the charges against him: for the Maëlys affair (kidnapping, kidnapping and murder), for the sexual assaults on two second cousins and for possessing child pornography. After his last opportunity to explain himself, the jurors and the Court will retire to deliberate.
8:20 a.m. Hello and welcome to this live. We are together to follow this last day of the trial of Nordahl Lelandais before the Assize Court of Isère. This is the end of three weeks of hearing. Debates resume at 9 a.m.
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