Property developer Paddy McKillen has been convicted by a court in Paris of being physically and verbally aggressive towards a bailiff at one of his luxury apartments in the French capital on June 25th last.
During a brief hearing at the Paris Correctional Court on Wednesday, presiding judge Fanny Huboux rejected prosecution demands for an eight-month suspended sentence and ordered the Belfast-born businessman to pay a fine of €10,000 and damages to the victim of €1,500.
Anna Cohen-Bacri told the court during a one-day trial in January that she was left feeling “frightened and intimidated” after Mr McKillen showed up at his €30 million apartment at the prestigious Place Vendôme in central Paris and tried to gain access. The bailiff said she was there to carry out instructions issued by magistrates.
“I was only there to do my job,” she said. “Mr McKillen knew that a bailiff was present, but he became extremely aggressive. He tried to stop me from doing my job, and was physically and verbally violent,” she said.
Case of three siblings abandoned as babies in London suburb confounds police
Irish government gave Facebook a ‘special phone’ in case of problems, former executive claims
Taoiseach to meet Trump in White House as trade war kicks off between the US and the EU
US says ‘ball in Russia’s court’ after Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire
“I’m very small, and I was scared. He put his hand up menacingly, and started swearing at me. He was insulting me the whole time, and became violent.”
She said she felt that she had no choice but to call the police.
The 33-year-old, who is heavily pregnant, claimed the accused had used the term “f**k you, bailiff”, and repeatedly called her an “idiot”.
However, his defence barrister, Jean-Marc Fedida, argued that his client had used the term “f**k” in exasperation rather than as a direct insult.
Mr McKillen, who was not present in court for the trial or the verdict, denied any wrongdoing. His lawyers immediately lodged an appeal, and said their client was “shocked and distressed” by the conviction.
Asked why the defendant had not turned up for the hearing, they said the property developer was “on a plane”, but they added that he would be sure to travel to Paris for any future proceedings.
In addition to the appeal, which is expected to be heard in the autumn, the lawyers said they had decided to file a complaint against Ms Cohen-Bacri for “breach of professional ethics”, and had lodged the claim on Tuesday.
In a further statement, Mr McKillen’s legal team said their client had faith in the French justice system, but was “very shocked that the court had decided to try him and render its decision, while denying him proper access to the case file before the trial”.
They maintain that they have been seeking access to the documents relevant to the case for several months, and – in their absence – have been unable to prepare a proper defence.
They insist that the allegations against the property developer are “based on outright lies”.
“Mr McKillen has never been violent against this bailiff, or anyone else, in his life. The official was sent to his apartment at the request of adversaries, against which he has launched several commercial proceedings.”
Defence lawyers had previously claimed that the 70-year-old was the victim of a “smear campaign” orchestrated by the Qatari royal family.
They say the case is linked to a wider dispute with Doha over the alleged non-payment of a loan to the Luxembourg-based Quintet Private Bank.
