A 50-year-old man from Maasmechelen risks a two-year suspended prison sentence and an €800 fine after stabbing his drunken neighbour in the back during an altercation in June.
The incident occurred on 19 June when a neighbour, under the influence of alcohol, knocked on the man’s door and asked for money. During the visit, the intoxicated man snatched a small bag of cannabis from the kitchen table.
The suspect demanded that his neighbour pay for the stolen drugs, which led to a physical altercation between the two men. As the drunken thief was leaving, the suspect grabbed a knife and stabbed his neighbour in the back. Another neighbour, who witnessed the incident, immediately alerted the police.
The victim was unable to work for four days due to the injury. In addition to the suspended prison sentence and fine, the prosecutor has requested that the court impose a restraining order between the two men and require the defendant to undergo a rehabilitation programme for drug use and aggression management.
