Nordahl Lelandais maintains that Maëlys got into his vehicle of his own free will

0


Gwladys Laffitte with AFP
modified to

7:05 p.m., February 03, 2022

Nordahl Lelandais, confronted Thursday with CCTV images during his trial for the death of little Maëlys in 2017, repeated Thursday that the girl had voluntarily gotten into her car the night of her disappearance. “Is this white form Maëlys?” Asks President Valérie Blain, turning to the accused, after viewing CCTV images, some of which are slowed down and “enhanced” to improve their quality.

Maëlys’ family left the courtroom

“Yes Madam President,” politely replies Nordahl Lelandais from the box. On these images of the vehicle of Nordahl Lelandais, passenger side, “we can distinguish a face, the height is low and we can see the top of a garment”, had previously commented on the director of investigation, a chief warrant officer of the gendarmerie.

Maëlys’ father, sister and grandmother left the courtroom when the videos were viewed. Asked to explain the presence of the girl in his Audi A3, Nordahl Lelandais specifies that “when (he) leaves, she is mounted in the front”. “Spontaneously?”, the president is surprised.

Why didn’t you recognize from the start in front of the investigators that the little one had left in the car with him? “I didn’t assume,” adds the former soldier laconically, repeating that the child at that moment had in mind to see his dogs. “It’s 2:47 a.m. What’s going on in the car at that time?” Ms. Blain then asks the accused.

“I don’t remember exactly what we said to each other, she said she liked the car, the dogs,” replies the 38-year-old former dog handler.

– “It’s in the next 2 or 3 minutes that Maëlys will cry. Why?”, Then questions the president.

– “The why I don’t know”, he said, evasively.

– “Was it after Maëlys received the blows?”

– “Yes Madam”.

Lelandais faces life imprisonment

Nordahl Lelandais has been appearing since Monday before the Isère Assize Court for the kidnapping and murder of Maëlys De Araujo, eight years old, during a wedding party on the night of August 26 to 27, 2017 in Pont-de -Beauvoisin. It was only after several months of denials that he admitted to having “unintentionally” killed the girl by hitting her. His body will be found on his indications on February 14, 2018 in a wooded area.

The accused must explain the facts on Friday afternoon. He faces life imprisonment.





Source link -79