Despite hurtling through a neighbourhood in Uccle at 126 kilometres per hour, more than double the speed limit in the area, a Brussels resident will face no charges, after a local police court waved his sentence, La Libre Belgique reports. The driver was saved from the fine by his dog.
Back in February, the unnamed defendant was in Uccle, when his phone went off to warn him of an intruder in his house in Rhode-Saint-Genèse. According to the smart security app, the doors leading to his dining room had been forced open. After phoning the police, the defendant jumped into his car.
On the route, his partner, who also had access to the application, confirmed the break-in, sending images showing two burglars within the property. Most importantly, the footage showed the family dog being attacked by the criminals. “An important detail”, the defendant's lawyer noted. Just a few months prior, his ex-partner’s dog had also been violently attacked by burglars.
The attack on his dog made the suspect put his foot down while driving. In Drève de Lorraine, the defendant was flashed at 126 km/h in a 50 zone by a mobile camera, speeding towards Drève de Saint-Hubert. The suspect was next flashed at 118 km/h, still twice the speed limit.
In court, the suspect agreed that the speed was inappropriate and admitted the crime. The suspect’s lawyer argued however that he was flashed by the speed camera in a quiet non-residential area, where the road was separated from the pavement and cycle path by trees. “He sped up, seized by a sense of worry about what was happening at home.”
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It would seem that the judge was moved by the suspect’s defence. As pet owners can attest to, any attack on an animal is likely to solicit an extreme reaction. The suspect succeeded in showing good faith during the trial, filing video evidence of the burglary and the attack against his pet before the judge.
Given the mitigating circumstances, the suspect pled guilty but the judge decided that no sentence would be passed down, so long as he did not commit a new offence within 12 months. Bar several hundred euros in court costs, the defendant will have nothing to pay in fines, which would have ordinarily cost upwards of €1,000. He will also keep his licence.
