Four years for nose biters

6 February 2007

BRUSSELS – The correctional court has sentenced three brothers to up to four years in prison, partially or entirely suspended, for a particularly insolent attack on a garage attendant in Hoboken.

They attacked the man with a hammer and even bit off a piece of his nose on 22 August last year because they were unhappy with the price being charged for repairs to a vehicle owned by one of them. The car owner was also unhappy with the long delay in the repairs being made.

The court found it incomprehensible that the brothers resorted to such an extreme response to the dispute, but did take into account the remorse they had shown.

One brother was sentenced to four years, two years of which suspended, the second was sentenced to three years, 18 months suspended, and the third to a three-year suspended sentence.

The garage mechanic was awarded 17,862 euro in damages.

Subject: Belgian news