Simon Jegou was sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment on Friday after being tried by the Ille-et-Vilaine Assize Court of Appeal. He was convicted of the murder he had always denied of Claire Bouchaud, his girlfriend, in 2017.
The Assizes of Cotes-d'Armor had sentenced the accused to the same sentence in 2021 at the first instance. Stephane Cantero (the Advocate General) deemed this sentence "excessive" on Friday morning. He had asked for 25 years imprisonment.
Eight votes out of nine jurors answered "yes" to the first question. ". They also believed that he was able to discern the difference between the narcotics and his normal senses.
Claire Bouchaud (35), medical secretary at the hospital was found partially naked and stabbed in a bramble by a man walking his dog 20 kilometers from Saint-Brieuc.
Since April 22, the young woman had not shown any signs of life. According to investigators, Simon Jegou was involved in numerous organized beats and displayed a lack empathy during the initial days of the investigation.
The Advocate General spoke out on the final day of the trial which began June 2 and focused on the "dysfunctions" of the couple as well as the accused's drug addiction in an attempt to explain this "crime, excess, or crime of resentment".
He emphasized the coldness of defendant, 35 years old, at the time of wife's disappearance and during appeals.
He said, "Everything comes back at him on the multiple motives he had for murdering Claire", recalling that Claire had stated her intention to leave him and that he was now using drugs again. .
Thomas Jourdain Demars and Frank Berton provided the defense. They reaffirmed that there was no irrefutable evidence, and asked for the benefit to the doubt. "You're being asked to sentence a man for 25 years, without knowing the exact time and place or why he did it. It's not hard to see! You realize!
The defense argument was over, and the accused took to the floor to affirm his innocence and express his love for Claire. He concluded, "Whatever your decision may be, we will not have the ability to do justice today to Claire."
Me Thomas Jourdain Demars, one of the defense attorneys, stated, dejected, after the verdict was rendered. "A judicial truth is established despite the many grey areas." The "where, when and how" questions were not answered within the last six days. The defense lawyer indicated that his client "reserves all rights to appeal in cassation."
Me Cecile de Oliveira (the lawyer for the civil party) stated that "it was important for Claire Bouchaud's family that Simon Jegou is found guilty of the murder (...).." She estimated that the fact that the defendant closed and refused to accept any logic regarding the incriminating elements "increases the severity" of her sentence. This refers to the behavior of the accused during trial.
