Bag stolen from a car left with a Twiga valet
The hearing took place on Tuesday 21 November - © Twiga Monte-Carlo
The perpetrator was found and convicted by Monaco’s Criminal Court.
The defendant did not appear in court, but was represented by a Monegasque lawyer who explained his client’s absence by handing the magistrates a psychiatric certificate. The hearing began with the President relating the events that date back to July 9. On that evening, as a valet at the nightspot on Princess Grace Avenue in the Larvotto district was taking charge of a vehicle, a woman managed to climb inside and steal a Louis Vuitton bag and its contents, totalling 70 euros. The 41-year-old woman from Nice, who is unemployed and suffers from psychological and emotional disorders, was accompanied by a friend from Cannes, a 29-year-old nurse. The former was charged with theft, the latter with handling stolen goods.
Advertising
“Two young women were identified” on the CCTV footage that was examined following the victim’s complaint when she returned from her night out, the President said. “They climbed into the car, then got out with a bag and headed towards the Fairmont.” The two intoxicated Frenchwomen were arrested in a bar at the Monegasque hotel. The officers’ timely arrival thwarted their intention of settling their bill with the stolen cash, and both the money and the bag were able to be returned to their owner.
As for the explanations, there were two somewhat different versions. “One claims to have mistaken the vehicle for her ex-partner’s and to have got in to retrieve her own property, while the other claims that her friend’s intention was to get revenge on her former boyfriend ” said Florestan Bellinzona.
Three-month suspended sentence
The Prosecutor regretted that the two women were not present to clarify their intentions, as their explanations were “very unconvincing.” The Public Prosecutor’s Office added that alcohol “does not mitigate their guilt, it aggravates it.“ While they faced up to five years in prison, Maxime Maillet asked for a three-month suspended sentence, given their previously clean records.
On behalf of the main defendant, Mr. Boyer stated that his client acknowledged the facts in police custody. He indicated that she has been undergoing psychiatric treatment since December 2020. “This was not planned, she didn’t flee afterwards, she went to a bar in Monaco. She understands that it is unacceptable, but her fragile state should be taken into account. I ask you to show the utmost clemency.”
The Public Prosecutor’s request was accepted, and the court sentenced both defendants to three months’ suspended imprisonment each. This means that they must not commit any other offences on Principality soil for the next five years.