Braine-l’Alleud resident Ricardo B. received a 12-month suspended sentence from the Walloon Brabant Correctional Tribunal on Wednesday for firing his handgun into the air during an altercation with another motorist.
The Court added an additional three-month suspended sentence for cocaine possession.
On a tense July day, Ricardo pulled alongside another driver on a street in Braine-l'Alleud, brandished a revolver, and pretended to fire at the victim. He then accelerated and fired two shots in the air. As cars ahead halted, eyewitnesses and the victim managed to disarm Ricardo, revealing that his weapon was real, with unused rounds still in the cylinder.
In court, Ricardo claimed he did not remember firing the weapon, which he had acquired six months earlier for personal protection, but without a permit. He downplayed his threat, attributing it to stress from a prior assault and alcohol consumption. The court stressed that his behaviour was dangerous and demonstrated “very minimal reflection.”
The two prison sentences given on Wednesday are conditional: Ricardo must now undergo regular psycho-medical follow-ups and abstain from alcohol and drugs.
