A 20-year-old young man from Ruysbroeck, in the Flemish Brabant, was sentenced to 80 hours of community service by the Brussels correctional court on Tuesday for punching another man who was seen with his ex-girlfriend.
The victim was left unconscious by the blow and was incapacitated from work for eight days.
The suspect had been in a relationship with a girl in 2021, which had come to an end. However, on 11 September 2021, the young man saw on social media that the girl was at a party in a bowling alley and when he went there, he saw her in the company of another man.
"The man did not hesitate for a second and immediately dealt a punch, leaving the victim unconscious," the Prosecutor’s Office said in dealing with the matter. "There are several witnesses and the incident was captured by surveillance cameras, so there can be no dispute about the facts."
The Prosecutor’s Office demanded a one-year suspended prison sentence The defence argued for community service. According to his lawyer, the young man regretted his actions immediately after the event.
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"My client fully admits the facts," the defence said. "In his mind, that relationship was not over, and when he saw that girl with someone else, he reacted completely wrongly. He also apologised in the days that followed."
The court eventually imposed an 80-hour community service sentence on the young man. If he fails to perform it properly, he faces an eight-month jail term.
