Accused of having murdered his ex-girlfriend with nearly 80 stab wounds, a former YouTuber "
expert in seduction
" and "
masculinity
" said his "
shame
" on Monday before the Assize Court in Versailles, after invoking his right to silence throughout his interrogation.
“
What is there to defend?
How could I dare to defend myself?
“, he finally let go, at the very end of the hearing.
Mickaël Philétas, 41, accused of murdering his ex-companion, Mélanie G., in January 2020, had previously refused to answer all questions from the court.
This silence reflects a “
very, very big shame
”, he then explained, when his lawyer asked him to justify his posture.
With these words, the victim's mother and two sisters left the courtroom, ordering the accused to sit down and "
shut (his) mouth
".
“
The right to silence is a right, but for the civil parties, it is deceptive and even infuriating.
He could have just shown goodwill.
Even that, he confiscates from them
,” one of the lawyers for the civil parties, Me Tewfik Bouzenoune, told AFP.
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In January 2020, Mickaël Philétas went to the home of Mélanie G., in the Yvelines, “
obsessed
” according to her words with the idea of knowing if she had been dating another man since their breakup a few months earlier.
The accused allegedly carried nearly 80 stab wounds to his ex-companion that night, whose death was pronounced on the spot, shortly after the arrival of help.
His new companion and his little sister, then 20 years old, who were at the victim's home, were also stabbed multiple times.
A zumba teacher, the accused hosted a YouTube channel with nearly 1,000 videos, in which he called himself a "
virtuoso of seduction
", "
a specialist in masculinity
" and vilified the "
castration
" of men by their companions.
The verdict is expected on January 25.
