Bar wars

Rue de Verdusse, Albi. Photo DDM

A story we commented on a while back had its culmination in the Albi tribunal this week. The owners of two bars opposite each other in a pedestrianised street leading to St Cecile in Albi have been more than commercial rivals for some years. Deliberately altering each others menu boards; insulting staff; encouraging customers to go elsewhere: these were almost weekly occurrences.
One night in August 2015 one bar closed early to "celebrate his daughter's graduation". Returning late to his premises he allegedly engaged in haranguing customers opposite and hit the manageress. This led the cook in the second bar to "defend" his patronne (and partner), but with a kitchen knife. The aggressor was stabbed and had to be admitted to hospital.
The court held that the response was not proportional and the stabbing had been deliberate, sentencing the cook to 3 months imprisonment, suspended. The victim of the stabbing was held to be 70% responsible for the incident, especially since he had come prepared with a length of thick electric cable "au cas ou". No doubt the saga will continue.
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