A 23-year-old Cape Verdean national faces trial for attempted manslaughter and deliberate bodily harm following a September 2022 incident in Weiler-la-Tour that left three men injured. The defendant failed to appear as proceedings opened Tuesday at Luxembourg City’s courthouse.
The case stems from a 4.30am altercation outside a Weiler-Station nightclub on 12 September 2022. Prosecutors allege the defendant intentionally struck the victims with his vehicle after a prolonged confrontation.
While the man claimed he had acted in self-defence after facing verbal aggression and merely sought to leave the car park, CCTV evidence presented in court showed a different sequence of events. The recordings revealed the defendant had multiple opportunities to depart safely but instead engaged in aggressive behaviour including the use of pepper spray and repeatedly driving his vehicle toward others present in the parking lot. The collision ultimately occurred when the defendant struck the three victims at an estimated speed of 35-45 km/h as they walked toward their own car.
Prosecutors emphasised the defendant and his cousin, who was with him that night, appeared to be seeking confrontation, noting neither faced any credible threat justifying the violent escalation. The investigation found no prior conflicts between the parties involved.
Court proceedings revealed further details about the defendant’s circumstances at the time of the incident. Notably, he was driving without a valid licence in his girlfriend’s vehicle, which he had taken without her permission earlier that evening. A forensic report indicated regular consumption of alcohol and cannabis, though toxicology results suggested his impairment levels during the incident were relatively low.
The presiding judge raised questions about how the unemployed defendant financed his substance use, though these enquiries went unanswered due to his absence from proceedings. This lack of testimony also left unresolved numerous questions from both the judge and prosecution regarding his general behaviour and specific actions on the night of 12 September 2022.
Medical reports confirmed the three victims sustained various injuries including broken bones, requiring hospital treatment but no critical care. None have suffered permanent physical damage. The victims are scheduled to provide their testimony when the trial resumes Wednesday afternoon.
