The man who murdered 18-year-old Théo Perrelle with a shotgun in 2019 was sentenced Monday evening, Oct. 24, by the Assize Court of minors to 20 years imprisonment.
Théo Perrelle, 18, lost his life on the night of May 17, 2019, in the city of Caen, after being hit in the chest by a shotgun blast while surrounded by friends. Four young people had approached the victim, and one of them had opened fire, apparently following a “bad look” shared between Theo and the main defendant 23-year-old Sid Ahmed Hattabi. A witness to the shooting said that before Theo was shot, he asked, Hattabi, “You want to kill me over a look?” Hattabi then pulled the trigger.
Théo was transferred to Caen Univeristy Hospital but died the next day.
Following the murder, a number of suspects fled to Algeria, including Hattabi, but were deported back to France after apprehended by Algerian authorities, according to Le Parisien.
Two other defendants were sentenced to three years in prison for intentional violence and ordered to wear electronic bracelets. The fourth accused, a minor at the time, was acquitted, according to Le Figaro.
“We have the feeling that three of the four defendants are coming out of this very well for having participated in a scene of violence that led to the death of a young man,” lamented Me Aline Lebret, the lawyer for the victim’s mother, who filed a civil action.
Throughout the trial, two defendants tried to blame each other for the fatal shooting, while witnesses named only one shooter. However, despite a week of trial for an incident that occurred three year ago, there is still little clarity as to why Théo lost his life.
One of Theo’s relatives testified at the trial, saying, “He had his whole life ahead of him. For his funeral, the church was too small because he was so loved. He was about to turn 19. Today, we only have photos, memories, stories.”