Farès D., 24, driver of a van which fatally mowed down police officer Franck Labois in 2020 in an attempt to escape, was sentenced to 30 years in prison by the Lyon Assize Court (Rhône), this Wednesday . He denied, during his trial, as throughout the investigations, having had the will to kill anyone.
In their verdict returned after five hours of deliberation, the jurors retained the “extraordinary seriousness of this gesture” resulting according to them from the will of the suspect “to escape at all costs from an arrest”, with the consequence of the death of the police officer of the Operational Support Group on the night of January 10 to 11, 2020.
“I believe there is no doubt about the intention. There was the will to crush Franck Labois and to pass at all costs”, had advanced the general counsel Olivier Nagabbo, noting that the accused had not reported “no remorse”. He had requested life imprisonment earlier in the day.
Franck Labois, the police officer of the Operational Support Group (GAO), then took part in an operation aimed at arresting a team of criminals, who had just stolen a load of laundry in Isère, aboard a van. Stuck by two vehicles, the van driven by Farès D. had hit Franck Labois head-on, standing in his way, gun in hand. There will be no trace of braking on the ground and the policeman, who was dragged several meters, will die three days later.
He “had no intention of hurting”
For the civil parties, the voluntary nature was beyond doubt. “If he doesn’t, he thinks he’s going to get shot,” said Me Laurent-Franck Liénard, who represents Franck Labois’ colleagues. “Franck Labois loved life so much that it was impossible for him to kill,” said the lawyer.
The defendant’s lawyers, recalling that he immediately designated himself as the driver of the vehicle, insisted that he “had no intention of hurting, let alone killing anyone”, not thinking “only to run away”. Farès D’s lawyers argued that “no one can say exactly what the position of the vehicles and that of Franck Labois was”. A single constant in the statements of the accused: “He is convinced that at this place, there and nowhere else, he can pass”, they pleaded.
During the hearing, when he took the floor for the last time, the accused had spoken “to the family, to the brothers, to the mother” of the victim. “I sincerely apologize,” he simply said.