Death of the Nantes supporter: the VTC driver placed in police custody was known to the police

2023-12-04 17:54:46

Investigations continue this Monday, less than 48 hours after the death of a Nantes supporter near the Beaujoire stadium, on the sidelines of the match between FC Nantes and Nice. As we indicated in recent hours, a VTC driver surrendered and was taken into custody for “intentional homicide”.

At the end of this police custody, the 35-year-old man was this Monday afternoon being brought before the judge. According to our information, he was already known to the police for acts of violence.

It was at 7:50 p.m. Saturday evening at Avenue de la Gare Saint Joseph in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) that around 200 Nantes supporters attacked around thirty Nice supporters, spread out in a convoy of five VTCs. The vehicles were quickly damaged: broken windows, damaged bodywork, etc. And it was in the face of this damage that one of the VTC drivers decided to get out of his car.

Consequence: the doors of his vehicle unlocked and the three passengers, Nice supporters, were beaten. Barely seconds later, the driver returns to the vehicle, panicked. According to the first testimonies of the passengers, he had a slight head injury and then told them himself that he had just “punched a guy in the back”. He held a bloody knife in his hand. Words that he repeated on the phone to the other drivers of the convoy in the minutes following the incident, and that the passengers heard again.

The driver demanded 300 euros from each passenger

Threatening, the driver fled and then demanded money from his passengers whom he considered responsible for the damage to his vehicle. They each took turns withdrawing 300 euros before being deposited back at their hotel.

As we indicated this Sunday, it was ultimately on his own that the driver presented himself at the Police Headquarters during the night from Saturday to Sunday, around 4:30 a.m. He was then placed in police custody but initially did not wish to speak without the presence of his lawyer. According to our information, his hearing was to begin at the beginning of the afternoon. An initial examination of the victim’s body revealed the presence of two wounds on the back.

A search was carried out at his home as well as his vehicle, which was placed under seal, but the weapon used has not yet been found. Furthermore, the first testimonies revealed the possible presence at the scene of the tragedy of a second man also carrying a bladed weapon. Investigations continue.