He lost in the casino and was furious Man speeds at 202 km/h and gets flashed - 8 months in jail

This is probably not how a Frenchman imagined his trip to the St. Gallen casino. After gambling away 4,000 Swiss francs, he sped along the A1 at 202 km/h and was flashed.

A 37-year-old Frenchman from Brittany is on trial at the Rorschach District Court for a speeding offense. He was allegedly flashed at 202 kilometers per hour on the A1 near Mörschwil in January 2022. Before that, he left the St. Gallen casino in frustration after losing 4,000 francs at roulette and other games of chance, as the St. Galler Tagblatt newspaper reports.

In court, the accused appeared remorseful and admitted that he lost control of himself at the time and "endangered himself and others".

At 202 kilometers per hour, the Frenchman not only exceeded the speed limit by 82 km/h, but also committed a speeding offence. In Switzerland, the speed limit on freeways is 80 kilometers per hour above the speed limit, above which driving is classified as a speeding offence.

Frenchman gambled away 12,000 francs in Casion

The defendant said in court that he was addicted to gambling, which was his downfall. He had gambled away a total of around 12,000 euros in casinos, a loss that put a heavy strain on his financial situation. Contrary to what was stated in the indictment, he was not an aeronautical engineer, but a self-employed aircraft mechanic who was on a temporary assignment in eastern Switzerland in January 2022.

Evenings in the casino had become a habit for him, and a run of bad luck ultimately led to his fatal freak-out at the wheel. "I had lost and had correspondingly bad emotions. Then there was the adrenaline, which certainly influenced my behavior at the wheel," he explained.

Defendant gets 37 euros per day

He is now undergoing psychological treatment and has asked to be banned from all casinos in France. He would also agree to a Europe-wide gambling ban, he explained without hesitation.

However, the risk of him embarking on a major gambling tour through Europe is zero. He is currently going through a divorce, is suffering from burnout, is jobless and no longer has any financial reserves. "Where I live, the borders are very far away. And secondly, I no longer play at all."

But even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to raise the money. He currently receives 37 euros a day from the French state and also has to pay his wife and children 1100 euros a month. "I couldn't do it without the support of my parents," says the accused, whose father is present in the courtroom. Appearing in court was correspondingly difficult for him.

The court turns a blind eye

The court showed understanding for the defendant's efforts to appear in person at the trial and appreciated his insight. Instead of the ten-month prison sentence demanded by the prosecution, he was sentenced to eight months, suspended for two years.

In view of his difficult financial situation, the court decided not to impose an additional fine. The judge expressed the hope that the incident would teach him a lesson and that he would "no longer drive around so brainlessly". However, the proceedings will continue to burden him, as he will have to pay the legal costs of CHF 11,718.