In connection with the killing of Romanian lorry driver Mihai Spătaru last month, two 27-year-old Iraqi men have been charged with intentional homicide and attempted robbery with violence resulting in death.
Details of the arrest were revealed during a press conference yesterday held by the Public Prosecutors Office in Amiens. The two men are being held in custody, and if found guilty, could spend 30 years behind bars.
According to France 3, one of the suspects has already been convicted three times for acts of aggravated violence, in particular violence with a weapon. He has also recently spent some time in prison for those crimes.
The men were both arrested last weekend in two seperate police operations. The first arrest took place on Saturday June 12th on the outskirts of Dunkirk, while the second happened the next day in Rouen in Seine-Maritime.
A dedicated investigation unit involving multiple police departments was setup to make the arrests. DNA results and CCTV footage was reportedly used during the investigation.
It is said that the two men gave different accounts of what happened on the night of the murder, something which reinforced the suspicions of the police. One of the men said he was present at the lorry park with the other suspect, while the second suspect denies being there.
However, it appears that the man who denies being at the murder scene ended up being treated in a hospital in Rouen for a dislocated shoulder. Police believe this is evidence of the struggle that took place. This, along with the CCTV footage, is said to show that the suspect’s account is inaccurate.
Police officers in Amiens say the two men used a Citroen people carrier to stop at various rest areas between the Rouen region and Abbeville on the night of the murder. The vehicle was then used to take one of the suspects to a Rouen hospital.
Photo credit: Ecole polytechnique / Flickr