Posted on 12/11/2004 7:18:22 AM PST by kingsurfer
Chirac's would-be assassin jailed
The defence said Brunerie needed treatment, not a criminal trial A student who tried to assassinate French President Jacques Chirac at a Bastille Day parade two years ago has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Maxime Brunerie, 27, was convicted of attempted murder by the court in Paris.
He was arrested after firing a hunting rifle as Mr Chirac rode in an open-top car along the Champs-Elysees in Paris on 14 July 2002.
During the trial he told the court he wanted to go down in history as someone who committed a "shocking" act.
At the parade, Brunerie took the rifle out of a guitar case and fired a shot before a quick-thinking bystander grabbed the barrel and pointed it skywards.
I wanted to do something historic... I had mucked up my life. I didn't want to muck up my death
Maxime Brunerie Experts said he could have killed the president if the shot had been on target.
Brunerie told the court earlier on Friday that he wanted to "express my profound and sincere regrets and make a public apology" to Mr Chirac.
His prison sentence is longer than the six to eight years requested by prosecutors, but shorter than the maximum possible life sentence.
Defence lawyers had initially argued that Mr Brunerie had psychological problems and deserved treatment rather than a criminal conviction.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Now I do not condone assainations but I would have had to suppress laughter if he had gotten him in the "le worm"
But for what crime?
Chirac's would-be assassin jailed
But for what crime?
............................................................
LOL
He needed more gun control
Better get this guy a U.S. lawyer, before Saddam's lawyer shifts focus.
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