It is a case for the less revolting which was taken this morning by the correctional court of Neufchâteau. A lady from Paliseul, who does not work and has income from mutual insurance, took advantage of the kindness and weaknesses of a friend who works at Ateliers du Saupont, an adapted work company, to steal more than €100,000 from her. .
The gentleman, with intellectual difficulties, does not know how to manage his papers, his invoices and his accounts on his own. He regularly called on a bank employee to help him. As a friendship develops with the Paliseuloise, she offers to help him with the management of his finances. What he accepts. In exchange, he comes to her house to clean and babysit his daughter when she is not there.
Very quickly, the lady begins to abuse this trust. She withdraws money from sir’s account. Noting that he notices nothing, and having a power of attorney over his accounts, she takes money from his accounts to pay it into her accounts. Between August 2019 and August 2020, just over €102,000 will be transferred!
He had to sell his house
And that’s not all. Me Romain, the gentleman’s lawyer, who discovered the pot of roses, reports that his client also paid three months’ rent, two used cars and a new car for Madame for which he was never reimbursed. That is more than 26,000 additional €. Not to mention withdrawals or direct payments which are more complicated to establish, adds the lawyer. It’s very simple, his client had to sell his house to get by.
“I’m very sorry. I should never have done that, I had never done that in my life.” declares the Paliseuloise in court.
12 months in prison required
“Madame has pumped the money from Monsieur well, and it is more than likely that he will not see 10% of everything she took again“, advances the substitute Pascale Robert.
It is that the lady lives with only 1,700 € per month, and pays a monthly rent of 970 € according to her lawyer. She therefore does not have the means to repay all that she has embezzled. She will tell the police that she paid off debts with the money collected, bought perfumes, clothes and the like.
The substitute requires 12 months in prison and the legal minimum for the fine, so that its payment does not hinder the reimbursement of Mr.
“A very fragile person too”
Me Paul-Emmanuel Ghislain insists that we do not load the boat of his client, “a very fragile person too, more than 66% incapacitated.” He points out that she has already repaid €16,000. He therefore disputes the amounts claimed in civil proceedings.
Cars ? “It’s not embezzlement, the gentleman paid them, advanced the money. It’s non-repayment of the loan.”
He pleads for a work sentence. This is what surprises the court, a penal mediation having not succeeded, Madam saying from the outset that she could not do community service. “I have since been operated on, so I agree to a work sentence, she explains. But I am against the prison sentence, because I have a daughter. to take care of.”
Judgment will be delivered on April 4.
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