The prosecution requested Thursday before the Criminal Court of Liège a sentence of 2 years in prison and a fine against a 35-year-old Liègeois prosecuted after having committed a threat of attack against the AB InBev brewery in Jupille.
The defendant is suspected of having wanted to commit a mass murder in the company. A seasonal employee of the company for 2 years, he had been dismissed by his employer for several breaches of the work rules. He had also harassed his ex-boss and made various threats during the month of July.
His escalation in threatening and violent remarks culminated on July 31, 2022 when he contacted several colleagues. To one of them, he had announced that he had bought a weapon. At another, he had announced that something serious was going to happen the same day in the company.
Two colleagues warned
The defendant had also warned two colleagues that he liked not to go to work that day. The man said he had nothing more to lose. He was also known to justice for having been convicted after threatening to blow up a house, when he locked himself in a cellar.
The defendant’s plans were foiled when a manager made the connection between the various pieces of information. AB InBev, fearing a mass shooting, had tightened security around its site.
The prosecution requested a 2-year prison sentence and a fine. Judgment will be delivered on November 3.