Montpellier Man Charged with Murder of 80-Year-Old Wife After Attempted Suicide

After being presented to the investigating judge on Tuesday, the Moroccan, "charged with murder of a spouse, was remanded in custody," the public prosecutor, Fabrice Bélargent, said. The 45-year-old man, in legal status, was arrested last Wednesday as he was trying to jump from the top of his building in Montpellier.

The suspect was hospitalized at first. He "had taken medication and had a wrist injury," the prosecution said. During his transfer to the police station, Hassan A.R. admitted to the Anti-Crime Brigade (BAC) police that he had stabbed his 80-year-old wife to death, reports Midi Libre. According to the autopsy performed on the victim’s body, she was stabbed 26 times with a bladed weapon.

"The couple had met in Morocco several years ago before getting married," the prosecution explained, recalling that the Moroccan had been arrested on June 25 after threatening to kill his wife. The judge had issued a restraining order against him, prohibiting him from approaching the victim’s apartment and contacting her for a period of six months. On July 10, the octogenarian had withdrawn her complaint