A Belgian man has escaped a lengthy prison sentence after stabbing his girlfriend's boss when he caught the pair having sex in a French seaside town, French outlets Sud Ouest and Ici reported.
32-year-old Maxime B. reportedly went looking for his girlfriend after she failed to return home following a late shift at a local oyster hut, where she worked as a seasonal employee.
Upon arrival at the scene, B. reportedly spotted his girlfriend performing a sex act on her 37-year-old boss through a window. He initially filmed the scene on his mobile phone before banging on the door and shouting "Police!".
When the oyster farmer opened the door, B. allegedly launched an attack with a knife, stabbing the man four times in the face, chest, stomach and arm.
French media reported that he shouted, "I'm going to kill you", during the assault.
The victim reportedly managed to flee to the kitchen and barricade himself inside, while the girlfriend intervened and screamed for help.
Despite the violence, the man later called the emergency services himself, a move that French prosecutors said likely helped save the victim's life.
Prosecutors had sought an eight-year prison sentence for attempted murder. However, judges at the Mont-de-Marsan court ruled that the defendant did not intend to kill his love rival.
The court took into account that he had contacted emergency services, had no prior criminal convictions, and had expressed remorse for his actions.
He was sentenced to five years in prison, with three suspended.
Having already spent a year in pre-trial detention, he has around one year left to serve behind bars.
