Four men were sentenced Friday to 6 to 13 years in prison in Metz for their responsibility for the death of a 20-year-old youth, who was killed in a fight in June 2020, due to a neighborhood conflict related to a nighttime disturbance.
The defendants, aged between 27 and 43, were found guilty of “voluntary violence causing death without intent to cause it”.
For general counsel, Sophie Martin, “everyone hit Romain Schlick” – contrary to the denials of the defendant who, despite admitting his presence at the scene that night, denied hitting the victim.
Fights over nighttime noise
On the night of the tragedy, in Metz, conflict broke out because a resident of a building in a residential area complained about noise coming from the top floor.
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His partner, Matthieu N. – who received the harshest sentence on Friday – then stepped in to fight with the occupants of the apartment where the victim was spending the night with friends.
Three of Matthieu N.’s friends came to his aid in the fight, which led to them appearing and being sentenced along with him by the Moselle criminal court.
Prosecutors had asked for 15 years in prison against Matthieu N., for “starting the violence,” and 12 years in prison against each of the other defendants, “who came to his aid.”
The first was known to the court for a traffic violation. Three other cases were also cited in their records: one for drug trafficking, the second for theft, fraud and violence, and the third for drug trafficking, traffic violations, escape, theft with violence, insults and domestic violence.
The criminal court issued detention warrants against the four convicts.
