The 54-year-old who had threatened and insulted Benoît Hamon under the windows of his home in the middle of the night, a 54-year-old man, was sentenced on Monday to a fine of 1,500 euros, including 1,000 suspended by the Nanterre criminal court.
“Hamon, get out of there, son of a bitch, we’re going to catch you.” In January, the former presidential candidate, retired from political life since September 2021, was threatened in the middle of the night at his home. An individual, alcoholic, had presented himself at his apartment in Issy-les-Moulineaux (Hauts-de-Seine) vociferating under his windows. This 54-year-old man appeared on Monday for “threat of crime or offense against persons or property against a public elected official”. He was sentenced to a fine of 1,500 euros, including 1,000 suspended, by the Nanterre criminal court, indicates AFP. The prosecution had requested a fine of 2,000 euros, including 1,000 suspended, deeming the threats made “extremely violent” and retaining the aggravating circumstance of addressing an elected official. This resident of the same district of Issy-les Moulineaux had shouted: “Hamon, get out of there, son of a bitch. We’ll catch you sooner or later, it’s only a matter of time.”
“I just thought they were all rotten”
The Yvelines regional councilor, present at the hearing, listened to the man explain that he was coming out of a bar where he had had a conversation about the Socialist Party with a friend who had warmed him up. “I just found that they were all rotten,” justified the defendant, who added that he had no political orientation and denied having “something against” Benoît Hamon in particular. At the helm, he apologized to the chosen one.
The latter filed a complaint because even “if this is not the first time that it (him) has happened, (…), there, it is in front of (him), in the middle of the night, in front of (his) children , with the desire to fight”. He did not bring a civil action and will therefore not receive any damages or interests.