Monaco’s Judges Face Drunks with Tear-Gas Grenades, Truck Drivers with Raised Fists and a Cunning Insurance Fraud

Alcohol and Tear Gas – A Dangerous and Menacing Cocktail

When alcohol is poured onto flames the result can be an exceptional flambé in a restaurant. Except the “flame” was a German with a repeat pattern of acts of threatened aggression. Eccentric acts, including clutching a tear-gas grenade! So in his apartment in Monaco this elderly retired gentleman became not so gentle fuelled by an alcoholic binge that frightened the lady with him – who accidentally set off the alarm. Arrive the fire brigade to be greeted with belligerence and a tear-gas grenade. Police back-up subdued the man and escorted him to be locked-up. Sound bizarre! It had, unbelievably, happened before which had landed him in prison for a month. Questioned by police the man showed no sign of remembering the incident.

Bizarre and strange. And he was fortunate on this occasion to receive a light suspended sentence prison sentence of a month and a damages verdict of 600 euros to compensate the fireman.

Insurance Fraud at the expense of a tourist

Fraud or a genuine accident? This is the question before the judge. c in the Principality.
A scooter tips over in Monte Carlo. The woman scooterist, making her living as a maid, falls to the ground. The police stop the nearest potential offender, a Japanese tourist in a car. Sixty one days unable to work, including rehab therapy and repairs to the scooter. The insurance company is presented with a huge bill to pay. It’s the Japanese tourist’s insurer who will pick up the lion’s share of these costs. There is a police report, there is witness testimony. It should be straightforward. Except the witness who is a cook is a friend of the scooterist. And on discovery it turns out the so-called witness was not present at the scene of the accident. Now we have a case involving fraudulent testimony. The plot thickens. Was the car of the Japanese tourist actually involved in the accident at all or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time?

The judge drew his conclusion. Fraud! The women had fallen off her scooter, by accident. No car was involved. The Japanese tourist was a convenient scapegoat. Her friend, the cook, the false witness, was an accomplice in the fraud, though she claimed to believe her friend, the maid’s story. And the judge’s verdict? Four months suspended prison sentence for the scooterist and a 800 euro fine for the cook. Perhaps the cook escaped prison because the judge believed her when she said she thought her witness statement was true with the exception that she was not actually at the scene.

Cement Good Relations with Police: Don’t Pick a Fight with them

If you drive a big cement truck into the middle of Monaco and start spilling cement on the road and pavement, sooner or later the police are going to arrive. And when that happens, what’s the best thing you can do? Clear up the mess, be polite, probably apologize, get the situation under control with the least fuss and be on your way. And if the police charge you with an infraction – accept it without an argument. That would be smart. Not smart is to start cursing the officer and threatening him. And if you ignore the policeman, climb in your cab with the engine running and get on your mobile phone you have just committed another offense – using a mobile phone on the road. Really not smart is then to descend from your cab, swear at the cop again and threaten him – to the point it appears you are going to hit him. Not surprisingly you will find yourself swiftly in front of a judge who will not be amused.

The least that is going to happen is a stiff fine. When the judge discovers you have a prior record of violent behaviour and drug offenses, prison bars await. The Judge certainly showed restraint, even clemency, his verdict? 15 days suspended prison sentence and a 300 euro fine.