Fontainebleau: witnesses tell of the fatal brawl that cost Barka his life

"Both did not want to come to this," loose this Thursday a childhood friend of the victim, at the helm of the Seine-et-Marne assize court in Melun.

This evening of January 20, 2017, the young man did not let go of Barka Dia while he was dying at the foot of the Warnery Tower in Fontainebleau.

Thursday morning, friends and witnesses to the facts marched in front of the court which seeks to understand the causes of these two fights, the second of which will be fatal to the young man of 22 years.

Throughout the stories, a story emerges.

The victim would not have supported that the author of the beatings, Ruben M., aged 20 at the time, tried during these three days for violence with a weapon leading to death without intention of giving it, sold for 10 euros of drugs to one of his regular customers.

Part of the small gang crosses the future victim at the gas station.

“We were supposed to go to Paris but I went back to the Lilas residence to repeat what he had told me to Ruben”.

Two fights in a few minutes

Furious, the latter goes to the Warnery Tower, located on the edge of Boulevard Winston-Chruchill.

A first altercation breaks out between the two young men.

“This story was the straw that broke the camel's back, loose the childhood friend of Barka Dia.

It took 3 to 4 minutes to separate them.

Another friend evokes "a story of jealousy between the two".

Angry, Barka Dia goes upstairs, to seize a hammer in particular.

Ruben goes to retrieve a knife, hidden in a gutter, which he still denies at the bar.

“I tried to calm Barka Dia in the elevator,” adds her boyfriend who eventually gives up.

Finally, the two protagonists meet again and Barka Dia hits Ruben on the temple.

The two men collapse.

"I separated them while they were on the floor," said the same friend, who will begin to realize the gravity of the situation when he sees blood on his hand.

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Ruben escapes on foot, Barka Dia to his basques.

But, the latter stops then collapses, while calling for help.

A second friend tries to take him to the car to drive him to the hospital less than 500m away.

The friend, with his hand full of blood, then understands the gravity of the situation, warns the emergency services and comforts as best he can the young man who will die in his arms.

“I lost 15 kilos as a result,” he adds, still traumatized.

The father of the victim had welcomed the accused during an internship

Ruben runs away and warns a former resident of the neighborhood, a sort of big brother who has seen them all grow up.

“He was panicked and explained to me that he had injured Barka Dia in the shoulder, explains this strong fellow, who will immediately inquire.

He then calls the accused back to inform him that he is dead.

"When he heard the news, he collapsed in tears before explaining to us that he would surrender once his mother had notified him," said another boy in his audition reports.

While awaiting the verdict, expected this Friday, each family remains in its sorrows.

“It's two families that have been broken up,” says a witness.

The victim's father, who had welcomed Rubens during an internship at his workplace in the hospital, did not hide his anger.

“At the time, you introduced yourself as a friend of my son.

You do not measure the consequences of your actions, he loses his temper.

You took him away from us physically, but he is in our hearts.

"