Justice Seven years in prison after killing wife
A pensioner who killed his wife in the apartment they shared in Neuchâtel in June 2023 must serve seven years in prison. The Neuchâtel Criminal Court sentenced him to this penalty on Wednesday.
04.12.2024, 15:06
04.12.2024, 17:16
SDA
The public prosecutor's office had demanded a prison sentence of ten years for the man in his eighties. When determining the sentence, the court took into account the defendant's slightly impaired capacity.
The couple lived "in a suffocating confinement that tended to worsen over time", explained court president Bastien Sandoz. Neither of them had taken measures to prevent this drifting apart. "The homicide was the result of one of countless conflicts that escalated more than the others," added the court president.
On the day of the crime, there was another argument. The victim allegedly attacked, insulted and spat at the defendant and tried to hit him with a crutch. The defendant explained that he had wanted to silence her by putting a hand over her mouth and holding her nose, but that he had not wanted to kill her.
"Toxic marriage"
"The defendant was not a violent, alcoholic, jealous or domineering husband. He was just the opposite. He was a submissive husband who loved his wife, who made her life hell, and vice versa. It was a toxic marriage," said David Erard, the defendant's lawyer.
Prosecutor Nicolas Aubert pointed out that this "dramatic end" came after more than 50 years of violence. "There was neither love nor intimacy". The couple's two children had hoped that their parents would separate. The situation was so tense that the daughter left home at the age of 18.
Slightly reduced sanity
The court took into account the defendant's slightly impaired sanity. His age, his deteriorating state of health and his imprisonment, which is more difficult than for other prisoners, were also taken into account.
The defendant's daughter and the victim were awarded 25,000 francs as compensation. The defense did not contest the amount.
