A man has gone on trial accused of killing his partner before setting his house on fire.
The trial of Daniel Malagut, 76, began on Monday in the Gers assize court.
He is accused of killing his partner, Sylvie Sanchez, 58, by striking her with his vehicle multiple times before fleeing.
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Sanchez was killed on 3 August 2023, in Préchac-sur-Adour, southwest France.
Prosecutors say Malagut struck her with his car as she tried to flee in fear, then drove into a garden and hit her twice more.
Sanchez died at the scene of the attack, which was observed by witnesses, as reported by Need To Know.
The couple had been together for nearly 30 years and were in the process of separating.
In the weeks before her death, Sanchez told police that Malagut had repeatedly threatened to kill her.
He was questioned over the threats on 31 July after an earlier psychiatric hospitalisation, and was released with a summons to attend a proposed alternative-prosecution procedure in November.
Three days later, Sanchez was allegedly murdered by Magalut.
After the killing, Malagut went to his home in nearby Galiax, where he allegedly set the house on fire and barricaded himself inside with a firearm.
He was found badly injured after an apparent failed suicide attempt and was later charged.
Sanchez’s relatives say authorities failed to act on the warnings and adequately assess the danger.
Seven family members have filed a separate claim against the state, arguing that more should have been done to protect her. Their lawyer, Fabien Arakelian, said: “We left Sylvie in the hands of her killer.”
The criminal trial will examine Malagut’s supposed actions. The family’s separate case concerns whether the authorities failed in their duty to protect Sanchez.
The four-day trial is scheduled to conclude Thursday.
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