The man, judged in immediate appearance, was imprisoned at the end of the hearing. He was also sentenced to a 5-year ban from appearing in Franche-Comté, his lawyer, Me Julien Vernet, told AFP, confirming information from the regional daily L’Est Républicain.
“Judging in the emotion of the moment is rarely a good thing”, analyzed the lawyer, while admitting the “objective seriousness of the facts with regard to the policeman”, whose injuries required 18 stitches.
The facts took place Monday evening, on the sidelines of a demonstration against the pension reform, and were filmed by the local media Media 25.
The images posted on Facebook show a policeman trying to arrest a demonstrator alone, before being unbalanced, falling to the ground and being kicked by a hooded young man with a skateboard.
“Substantial” criminal record
The defendant already had a “substantial” criminal record, according to his lawyer, with 7 convictions. At the hearing, he “fully acknowledged the facts and offered sincere apologies”, indicated Me Verlet.
The prosecutor, Etienne Manteaux, had requested a sentence of 2 years in prison with a warrant of committal.
In a “dispatch” of March 18, the Keeper of the Seals, Eric Dupond-Moretti, ordered the prosecution to provide a “systematic and rapid criminal response” in the event of excesses in the demonstrations.
He had invited the magistrates to request “additional penalties to avoid the repetition of the facts”. “The sentences of prohibition of stay (…) or prohibition to appear in certain places seem particularly appropriate”, he had estimated.
Sentenced, the 30-year-old has 10 days to appeal.
A new demonstration is planned for Thursday afternoon in Besançon to protest against the pension reform.