A man from West Flanders faces charges of defamation and rebellion after an incident last summer in which he drunkenly caused a traffic accident, fled twice from police, and then threatened to infect officers with HIV while naked and bleeding.
The Ostend man was heavily intoxicated when he caused the accident in Middelkerke. He fled the scene and when police later arrived at his house, he emerged naked and began taunting the officers and calling them names.
“The defendant had only just come out of the shower and was given the opportunity by the officers to change into clothing before going to the police station,” an attorney clarified to Nieuwsblad. “But he decided to flee again.”
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The 40-year-old man didn’t get far.
Police handcuffed him, but the man managed to smash a few windows and was injured and bleeding. He shouted and spat at the officers, saying he was going to infect them with HIV.
The man, who does not have HIV, has apologised and already paid some damages.
“What I did is unacceptable,” he said in court on Monday. “I will accept any punishment.”
A verdict will come on 15 March.
Helen Lyons
The Brussels Times
