The Wheels of Justice Turn in Monaco

Racing under the Influence

Two tots of whisky and another shot of liquor and a 21-year-old young lady deluded herself into thinking she was the female equivalent of Lewis Hamilton. And so she went for an early morning race on the Grand Prix track! In the wee hours of the morning she first took on the “tourniquet” by the hotel. Her drunken driving orgy was just beginning. The next spate of daredevil driving was at Avenue Ostende, including a dangerous U turn there. A final burst of acceleration under the influence of alcohol, loss of control at the wheel and two stationary cars’ wings were clipped, pieces of their body-work scattering all over the road. Arrive the police with a breathalyser and to no-one’s surprise a reading of 0.63 mg per litre of air, well over the legal limit. Luckily, only a damaged ego for the young lady even though there was material damage to the cars, of course. Slurring and incoherent but no blood or injury – a court case ensued rather than an extended visit to the hospital. A visit to prison was a possibility instead.

The court listened to the defence’s plea. The young lady provided care to hospital victims as a vocation and had no prior record of offenses or drunken behaviour. Embarrassment, remorse and stiff fines for the infractions, three in total, 600 euros, 100 euros and 45 euros, but luckily for her no jail.

Craving for Grand Cru

A sixty-year-old robber with good taste at least. He knew where the finer Grand Crus could be found in Monaco. And wily enough to know there were no anti-theft devices attached to the bottles in the shop. So he decided to make several visits to despoil the store of its best wines – on his visit first, five bottles was enough to satisfy his craving for alcohol in the form of fine wine. The mysterious disappearance of the Grand Crus came to the attention of the store manager. Sleuthing with the video-cameras, the manager discovered the crafty modus operandi of the thief. Loading up his basket first with bottles of water and beer, the suspect hid behind a column and tucked the bottles of Grand Cru into hidden pouches in his jacket. Slyly paying just for the water and beer he made off with his spoils of just under 1000 euros of the best plonk.

His taste for Grand Cru got the better of his judgement. On his next little escapade to liberate fine wines again, the manager of the shop was waiting to catch him in the act – two bottle this time valued at over 300 euros. A call to the police, handcuffs, jail and then to court. Feeble excuses, a record of four similar crimes in France, all to satisfy his craving for alcohol. And this unemployed man from the Balkans was already in breach of an order restraining him from being in Nice. Lucky to get off with a suspended sentence of two months in jail for his crime of stealing 1.300 euros of stolen wine. The Prosecution would have had him immediately incarcerated, but the judge relented.

Alcohol Tempts the Devil Within

Jekyll and Hyde – you know the story. Two personalities living within the same person. On the surface, tranquil and charming. Lying within this young man was the devil, awaiting alcohol to unleash the worst.

And so this young Monegasque man craving a drink downed fifteen glasses of whisky. No wonder the result. Consumed by jealousy and seeing his girlfriend surrounded by admirers, he loses control and gropes and scratches her in a public – a scene from hell.

This wasn’t the first time either that he had been violent under the influence. He had pushed her and slapped her before in the privacy of their bedroom. But this was going to be the last time. She finished with him and put in an official complaint.

A tough case. The man had a record of offenses under the influence of drugs and alcohol. He had made a big effort to beat his drug addiction. But violence against a young woman convinced the court that leniency could only go so far. A suspended sentence would be too light a penalty. His ex-girlfriend did not seek fines or damages, just that he recognize his problem with alcohol. And it was hard to see the devil within when he was calm. In court he was the perfect example of a well-mannered gentleman. The Court’s decision – 12 weekends in custody at a Correctional Centre.