Burglary, sexual assault and resisting arrest: six years’ imprisonment

On 28 February, at around 3.30 am, the man broke into the victim’s home by smashing the bars on the front door. The noise alerted the elderly lady, who only had time to sit up in bed before the man threw himself on top of her. She found herself sitting on the floor, between the bed and the wall, with the man’s head on her bottom. He then made several attempts to touch her private parts. The lady called for help. But she had to wait for the police to arrive before she could free herself from her attacker.
The two police officers find three witnesses at the scene who point out the house from which the cries for help are coming. Inside, they discover the man bare-chested, with his trousers down but still wearing his underpants, in the act of assaulting her on the floor. Caught in the act, he is arrested, though not without difficulty. In a daze, but extremely agitated, he kicked his victim twice before turning on the police officers, who struggled to take him away and place him in a cell. There too, he behaved irrationally and inflicted injuries on himself.
In the dock, the woman stated, “His head was on my thigh, both my legs were pinned down. He tried to pry my injured leg apart; he had his arm underneath me and was trying to grab my private parts, but he didn’t manage to.”

The ravages of alcohol

During his hearing, the defendant said he could not remember anything, having consumed a great deal of alcohol, and did not understand how he had ended up in police custody. Examined by a psychiatrist, he was nevertheless deemed fit to face criminal proceedings. From Basse-Terre prison, he told the judge: “I didn’t know I had done all that to the woman. ”
He has 16 entries on his criminal record, for theft, resisting arrest, contempt of a person in authority, carrying a weapon, and violence against a minor, committed between 2013 and 2025 in mainland France or Saint Martin. The most recent case involved an attempt to strangle his sisters whilst under the influence of cocaine, tried by the same magistrates.  “I apologise, I’m sorry. I’m not a bad guy; it’s the alcohol and the drugs that make me do this,” argued the man in his sole defence.

Cumulative sentences

For the prosecution, there was no need for lengthy submissions: the facts had been established by the police themselves, which is rare. But the facts remain shocking. The woman is elderly, has difficulty walking with a cane and stood no chance against a tall, well-built man. “She could do nothing but endure his assault and violence,” emphasises the deputy prosecutor, who praises the victim’s courage in coming forward to testify.
But faced with such a scenario and the words of a man whom the justice system has pardoned so many times, she has no further leniency. “When he’s high, he’s dangerous! He must be removed from society. ” She is seeking a seven-year prison sentence, with immediate remand and five years’ socio-judicial supervision, explaining: “The day he gets out, he’ll carry on. He’s a danger; he harms everyone. We’ve tried everything with him; nothing works. He harms the elderly, his family, the police. I don’t care if he doesn’t reintegrate; I want to protect society. ’
She also requested a treatment order to take effect upon detention, a work requirement to compensate the civil parties, and a five-year ban on holding public office.
The court acquitted the man of the assault on the woman and sentenced him for the other offences to six years’ imprisonment with immediate detention, five years’ socio-judicial supervision, and a five-year ban on holding public office.

He will have to pay compensation to the gendarmes, who are civil parties, in the amount of €400 each for non-pecuniary damage. As for the victim, who is also a civil party, her claim has been referred to the hearing on civil claims on 6 October 2026.