According to Le Républicain Lorrain, a 49-year-old Kosovan national was acquitted on a technicality after threatening to behead a woman in the Botanical Gardens of Metz, located in the municipality of Montigny-lès-Metz. The offence took place last Wednesday. According to witnesses, he shouted ‘Allah Akbar’ as he attacked a female walker before intimidating another woman by displaying a small knife in his saddlebag.
He was immediately taken to court on Friday to face charges relating to repeated death threats, violence while obviously drunk and insulting a city policewoman, whom he allegedly shouted homophobic slurs at. The man, who was arrested with almost 2 g of alcohol in his blood, has ten entries on his criminal record.
However, as there was no interpreter present at the beginning of the police custody and during his psychiatric examination, the charge collapsed, as his lawyer Elliot Hellenbrand argued. However, he was sentenced to 140 hours of community service for illegally carrying a stabbing weapon (6cm knife).
Despite the acquittal, an OQTF (obligation to leave French territory) was issued by the prefect. The defendant was taken to the Queuleu administrative deportation centre.
Montigny-lès-Metz (57) – Le migrant kosovar qui menaçait de décapiter des femmes au cri d'”Allah Akbar” dans le jardin botanique relaxé pour vice de forme – Fdesouche / Le Républicain Lorrain