Dordogne: Man sentenced for firing foam cartridge at timber thief

For several weeks, a man, now 43, had about ten pieces of wood stolen from his property in Mareuil-en-Périgord. He therefore decided to install a camera and on December 20, 2024, he saw a man helping himself around 1 a.m. The forty-year-old then approached the thief and fired a shotgun equipped with foam cartridges into the air. According to the latter, the thief then confronted him and two shots were fired in his direction, hitting him in the hand and hip.

A “poignant” hearing

Initially classified as attempted murder, the facts were eventually reclassified as intentional violence with a weapon because "there was no intention to kill." He was finally tried on Friday, June 13, by the Périgueux Criminal Court. "It wasn't self-defense in the criminal sense, but that was his intention and how my client perceived it," explained defense attorney Réda Hammouche. "Because in the end, he's the first victim, the one who was robbed but who ends up in court."

During this "poignant" hearing, in a packed room, with many neighbors present to support the accused, the public prosecutor had requested 18 months of prison with a probationary suspension and an obligation to undergo treatment and work, but the court ultimately sentenced him to 12 months of prison with a simple suspension. "The court made a measured and understanding decision of the situation, being clear-sighted and intelligent," concluded Me Réda Hammouche.