Elderly British Woman Evades Imprisonment After Running Over French Villager, 85, Reveals Disregard for Victim by Fleeing Accident Scene, Despite Displaying Clear Contempt
A woman from Plymouth, evading justice after hitting a elderly gentleman with her campervan, luckily avoided a jail term. On Tuesday, she was sentenced in absentia by the Rennes Criminal Court in France.
The septuagenarian victim, aged 83, was unfortunately trapped between the woman's vehicle and his own during their encounter in Bain-de-Bretagne, France. The traumatic incident unfolded back in September 2023.
Alarmed by her absence after the accident, the prosecutor argued it was shocking that the woman did not show remorse or even inquire about the victim's condition. This behavior, according to the lawyer Kevin Descamps-Guezou, showed "real contempt for the victim."
The woman, now 86, claimed she did not intentionally flee the scene after learning she could have faced up to three years in prison. She asserted she wasn't aware of the victim's situation, though multiple witnesses reported otherwise.
Remarkably, the accused insisted she wasn't aware of the victim, contradicting eyewitness accounts. France 3 news reported this inconsistency. The victim's wife had reportedly been present during the accident, hearing her husband's horrific screams.
Fortunately for the evasive driver, the court imposed a lenient sentence — a six-month suspended prison term and an initial €4,000 fine to compensate the victim. Though the exact sum of damages hasn't been assessed yet, the fine will contribute towards the victim's compensation.
Interestingly, the victim did not have legal representation during the trial, as reported by France 3. It's unclear why, but the lack of a dedicated lawyer might have impacted the outcome of the case.
- Despite her absence during the trial, the Rennes Criminal Court in France sentenced the Plymouth woman for hitting a 83-year-old man with her campervan in Bain-de-Bretagne, France.
- The incident, which occurred back in September 2023, was officially classified under car-accidents in the general-news category.
- The victim's wife was present during the accident and heard her husband's horrific screams, providing eyewitness accounts that contradict the accused's claims.
- The court deemed her behavior during the incident, particularly her lack of remorse and inquiry about the victim's condition, as showing real contempt for the victim.
- In contrast to the potentially severe punishment she could have faced, the evasive driver was given a lenient sentence consisting of a six-month suspended prison term and an initial €4,000 fine to compensate the victim. This fine, however, is expected to contribute towards the victim's compensation, as the exact sum of damages hasn't been assessed yet.
