2023-11-23 11:42:37
The nighttime image from remote surveillance, black and white, wide shot, shows him hooded, right arm armed, preparing to launch a projectile towards the street where the OL supporter buses are passing, Sunday October 29, one o’clock and a half before the Olympic clash, at the rear esplanade of the Vélodrome stadium.
Thomas S. appeared face uncovered Thursday morning, before the three judges of the Marseille criminal court. He has just been taken from Baumettes prison. “24 days of hell,” he slips. He recognizes the gesture, apologizes, gets his words a little wrong, because appearing can be destabilizing: “I had a moment of euphoria. » His lawyer Fabrice Giletta specifies: “Madness. »
Thomas S. ran, a stone in one hand, “rather a pebble held between his two fingers” further refines the former president of the bar, a belt in the other, towards the fence which separated him from the ten buses of supporters arriving from Lyon, before launching his projectile. He is one of nine arrested in the OM-OL incidents, despite virile opposition from other supporters. Thomas S., 22 years old, storekeeper, has been with the MTP group for ten years, following his favorite club throughout France and even beyond.
“We are talking about an incident, we should say a disaster, as this evening was punctuated by so many distressing incidents”
Isabelle Fort, the trial prosecutor
It was 7:19 p.m. “We cannot determine where the projectile ended its journey,” informed a police officer. At 6:54 p.m., at the same place, the OL players’ bus was stoned. A window had exploded. Fabio Grosso, the coach, had been severely affected, not far from losing his eye. “We are talking about an incident, we should say a disaster, as this evening was punctuated with distressing incidents,” intones prosecutor Isabelle Fort.
“There is no collective responsibility in criminal matters,” Fabrice Giletta deftly clarifies, obtaining a minimum sentence for Thomas S., a four-month suspended sentence and a three-year stadium ban.
By retracing the evening, the president of the court Thierry Bonifay tries to understand the motives of this act: “How can one be carried away by passion and fight? I can not understand. » Thomas S., rather sheepishly: “Me neither, it’s very stupid. » The defendant does not deny the evidence in the video. He barely outlined an excuse, not corroborated: “When the Lyon supporters got off the bus, they had stones which they threw at us (…) I fought back. »
The defendant has difficulty understanding his gesture
The president is surprised that we are waiting on a square, hooded, on a “very hot” day. “It’s because of the gas,” Thomas S tries to convince. “It filters a little. Many children and elderly people are accidentally gassed by the police because of crowd movements. I was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. »
The president, again, wants to understand why Thomas S. was holding a belt in his left hand which “normally is used to hold jeans”. Answer: “I took it off just in case. (…) I wanted to protect myself (from opposing supporters). »
The prosecutor, Isabelle Fort, also tries to unravel the mystery of this act: “Monsieur does not like football. Otherwise, he would not have been on that side,” demanding twelve months in prison, half of which was suspended, and a five-year ban from all stadiums, including during “the Olympic Games.”
“My client cannot be summed up as a shaker”
Fabrice Giletta, the defense lawyer
“The prosecutor was somewhat hasty in asserting that three offenses were committed,” argues Fabrice Giletta, the defense lawyer. Violence with use of a weapon, damage to another person’s property and throwing of a projectile presenting a danger to personal safety. The court will deliberate for a quarter of an hour and will only consider the last offense.
“My client cannot be summed up as a shaker,” summed up Fabrice Giletta. Since this incident, Thomas S. has already missed several OM matches at home, in Lens, in Athens. He will therefore miss many others. He will have to report to the police station. His employer retained his trust in him. He expects her at work as soon as possible.
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