The Liège Assize Court sentenced Erwin Laisse to 30 years in prison on Monday afternoon for killing his grandmother. The 35-year-old Liège resident was found guilty of manslaughter last Friday.
On the evening of 18 May 2023, Laisse killed Jenny Maréchal in her home in Chênée, a district of Liège. He stabbed Mrs Maréchal, 76, nine times before cutting her throat.
Her neighbours were reportedly surprised to see Laisse leave his grandmother's house after hearing the sounds of arguing earlier that day. Laisse fled with his grandmother's bank cards and car. The victim was found in her bed, covered in blood.
Laisse did not contest the charges but claimed he was suffering from amnesia to avoid having to explain his actions.
The defendant is said to have lived his life on the margins. He drank and used drugs, and only his grandmother cared for him and gave him shelter. He regularly borrowed money from her, but arguments frequently erupted when she refused to lend him more money.
In determining the length of his sentence sentence, the jury and the court took into consideration the fact that at the time of the incident, the defendant was serving a sentence with an electronic ankle monitor at the home of the victim, who had provided him with shelter.
The jury and the court also considered mitigating factors, including the "emotional deficiencies" the defendent experienced during his childhood and adolescence.
They also factored in Erwin Laisse's significant risk of recidivism. The jury and the court emphasised that, given his young age, doctors do not rule out the possibility of future abstinence from drug use.
