The events took place in January 2019 in Wiltz. The defendant drove into a group of five people who were walking on the pavement on Rue Grande-Duchesse Charlotte. He injured his then 42-year-old ex girlfriend, a 24-year-old friend of hers and her ten-month-old baby. The new partner of his former girlfriend also suffered life-threatening injuries. Two-year-old Calvin, the defendant's son, was also in the group and did not survive the incident.
Ever since the events unfolded, the defendant has been in jail for murder and several accounts of attempted murder. On the first day of the trial, a number of experts gave a statement, including psychologists and forensic experts.
The defendant stated that on the day in question, he drove by the group and recognised his ex girlfriend. He was happy to see her and wanted to talk to her, so he turned his car around. He was convinced that she was interested in coming back to him. However, he stated that he then blacked out and could not remember the following moments. Right after the accident, he still tried to help his son. He believes the blackout to be related to his type 2 diabetes.
Experts were not convinced by the statement and noted that although such blackouts can occur, it was not possible to regain consciousness only seconds after.
A traffic analysis revealed that the car drove between 40 and 60 km/h. Neither acceleration, nor brake marks were discovered. However, experts also noted that the defendant must have hit the brakes right after the accident, given that the car came to a halt after 20 metres.
The police first suspected jealousy as a motive, which psychologists have not ruled out yet. The defendant had long continued to pursue his former girlfriend, even after they had broken up. During the first day of the trial, he showed few emotions while listening to the accounts of the day.
The trial is scheduled to continue on Thursday and Friday morning.
