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After more than a year's investigation into a case of repeat thefts in the Saint-Jean and Grand-Cul-de-Sac neighborhoods in May-June 2024, the man responsible was jailed last Wednesday.
The trial of R.L.J., the defendant, came to a close at the Saint-Martin local court. In all, 5 victims of robbery with weapon, violence and concealed face during May 8, May 12 and June 1, 2024 (JSB n°1570). Relaxed for the facts of May 12, R.L.J. was found guilty for those of May 8 and June 1, 2024. "The victims described their assailant and his modus operandi in identical terms. The testimonies therefore converge towards one and the same perpetrator of these crimes", interjected the court president's assessor. Both attacks took place late at night, in the victims' homes. The assailant, wearing a balaclava and carrying a handgun, was attempting to steal money, jewelry and a container from the victims' safes. A total of €2,500 had been taken from the May 8 case, and only the June 1 victim's phone had been stolen. Absent from court, the victims left the case in the hands of the justice system. The defendant, who had no legal assistance, took the stand alone: "I maintain that I had nothing to do with this," he asserted. This plea failed to convince the chairman, especially as the defendant had already gone back on his statements several times during the investigation. In fact, at his first hearing, the defendant recounted that he had been in the company of his girlfriend throughout the evening of June 1st. When questioned for the second time, he confessed that he had quarreled with his girlfriend that evening and had gone to sleep on the beach. The president then asked him about the fact that his cell phone had been located near the home of F.P., the victim, at the time of the assault. "I was homeless at the time, so maybe I was walking around at the time," retorts the accused. But last April, DNA searches confirmed the presence of R.L.J.'s DNA at the scene of the attack. "Your DNA was found on the passenger seat of F.P.'s car, whom you forced to go to the bank to withdraw money. How do you explain that if you had nothing to do with this case? "says the president. Overwhelmed by the evidence, R.L.J. denies everything, without being able to justify himself: "It's impossible. I was never in his car. "Later, the investigation revealed that he knew the victim, who happened to be his girlfriend's godfather. We also learn that R.L.J. had been hired as a landscaper at F.P.'s home before being fired by his employer a few months before the events. Once again, the defendant contested the allegations against him, but this was not enough to keep him out of prison. After a recess of almost an hour, the court sentenced R. L.J. to 3 years' imprisonment with a committal order and a 5-year ban on carrying weapons.L.J. At just 25 years of age, this was his first conviction, which has now been added to his criminal record.
Attempted robbery: defendant escapes trial
The person presumed to be behind the attempted robbery of a Gustavia jewelry store on November 10, 2021 (JSB 1447) has not been tried. Four years later, just as the legal proceedings were about to come to an end, the defendant's trial was cancelled at the last minute. Last Wednesday, due to an error in the Saint-Martin local court's procedure, the president announced that the hearing could not take place. In fact, an intervener explained to the audience that the victim no longer worked in the store concerned, and that she would not be appearing before the judges. Finally, she announced that a witness, who was supposed to be heard in this case, had remained unreachable.
