Dendermonde (Brussels Morning Newspaper): A 67-year-old man in Dendermonde prioritized alcohol addiction recovery over attending his trial for serious offenses, including a moped crash while drunk. Prosecutor Peter D’Hondt doubted his sincerity, leading to a three-year prison sentence and a €16,000 fine.
A 67-year-old man did not attend his trial in Dendermonde because he was focusing on overcoming his alcohol addiction. He decided to get help just weeks before the trial, which is for things that happened more than two years ago. His absence was noticeable as he decided to focus on his recovery instead of attending court.
Did the 67-year-old man in Dendermonde manipulate alcohol treatment to avoid prison?
The public prosecutor did not believe the man’s decision to get help for his alcohol problem was sincere. The prosecutor said it looked like he was trying to avoid going to prison by entering treatment at the last minute. Since the offenses happened a long time ago, the prosecutor thought the man was only acting now because he was scared of the consequences. His efforts were more about reducing his legal issues.
The man faced serious charges after crashing his moped into a car while drunk on February 3. He didn’t have a valid driver’s license because he had a lifelong driving ban since 2020. With six previous drunk driving convictions and one for driving despite his ban, the prosecutor said he hadn’t learned from his mistakes. His lawyer mentioned that his troubles began after his divorce and family deaths. Despite this, the police judge, Peter D’Hondt, sentenced him to three years in prison, a hefty fine of 16,000 euros, and ordered his immediate arrest.
