On December 30, 2019, Domenico Puddu shot his neighbor Jean-Yves Wargnies in the head in Marchienne-au-Pont (Charleroi) because the latter was making noise while carrying out his work. The victim died a few days later. Puddu was arrested shortly following the shooting and confessed to the crime, claiming that he warned Wargnies regarding the noise before resorting to violence. His trial before the Mons Assize Court began on Tuesday.
On the morning of the incident, Wargnies was working on his roof with a friend when Puddu came to complain regarding the noise. The two men argued, and Puddu climbed the ladder leading to the roof and shot Wargnies in the leg. Wargnies fled, and Puddu followed him, asking if he had called the police. When Wargnies said he had, Puddu shot him in the head. Police found four bullet casings at the crime scene.
During his questioning, Puddu admitted that he aimed for Wargnies’ head when he shot him the second time. He claimed that if Wargnies had not answered him in a hostile manner when he asked him to stop making noise, none of it would have happened. Puddu said that an accumulation of nuisances caused an uncontrollable anger to rise in him, leading him to commit the irreparable.
Puddu has a history of violence and convictions, including a suspension of judgment for acts of threats, assault, and willful destruction in 1997, a ten-month suspended sentence for a dispute with a neighbor in 1999, a one-year imprisonment for harassment, threats, and insults in 2002, and a three-month suspended prison sentence for assault and battery causing permanent incapacity for work in 2004. He has been in prison since December 30, 2019, and has been denied release once upon appeal.
Jean-Yves Wargnies was a well-known figure in Charleroi, having been a singer in a rock group in the 90s and twice providing the first part of the group Indochine. He also participated in the only Belgian edition of Star Academy in the early 2000s and opened a café called “Chez ta mère” on the Place de la Digue in Charleroi a few years before his death. The cafe’s motto was “Here the worker meets the lawyer.” A fresco of Wargnies now adorns the establishment. His death has caused much emotion in the Charleroi region.
It was on December 30, 2019, in Marchienne-au-Pont (Charleroi) that Domenico Puddu shot his neighbor with a bullet in the head, because the latter was making too much noise while carrying out his work. Jean-Yves Wargnies was 46 years old. He will die a few days later. The shooter was deprived of his liberty a few minutes following shooting his neighbor. He acknowledged the facts, arguing, in all defence, that he had warned the victim, because the noise of the work bothered him. His trial before the Mons Assize Court begins on Tuesday.
That morning, the victim was doing some work on his roof with a friend. He had bought this former industrial building in Marchienne in 2016 with the aim of transforming it into a loft. His neighbor came to tell him that he was making too much noise. Has the tone risen between the two men? Still, the accused then climbed the ladder that led to the roof. He fired several times and hit Jean-Yves Wargnies in the leg. The latter jumped from the roof and fled through a street adjoining his property. Domenico Puddu followed him and joined him near an electric pole. He then allegedly asked him if he had called the police. After Mr. Wargnies’ positive response, he shot him in the head. During their investigation, the police will find four casings in different places of the crime scene.
During his hearing by investigators, Domenico Puddu admitted that he was aiming for the head of Jean-Yves Wargnies when he touched him the second and last time. He will also specify that if Jean-Yves Wargnies “didn’t answer him badly” when he asked herto stop making noise, none of this would have happened”. He justified his act by “an accumulation of nuisances that cause an uncontrollable anger to rise and that the irreparable has been committed”.
A violent past, several convictions
In 2016, the police had already been notified of a problem between Domenico Puddu and his neighbor. The accused had already threatened Jean-Yves Wargnies with a “gun shot”. He had been interviewed by the police, his home had been searched, but no weapon had been found. The man has a rather violent past. During the investigation, a relative said that “when something disturbs him, he is obsessive and limitless, extremely violent”. As for his criminal record, there is a suspension of judgment for acts of threats, assault and willful destruction (1997). In 1999, he spent time in prison for what he himself describes as “dispute with a neighbour”. He was sentenced for these facts to a ten-month suspended sentence. In 2002, he was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for harassment, threats and insults. Finally, in 2004, he received a three-month suspended prison sentence for assault and battery causing permanent incapacity for work. In prison since December 30, 2019, he appealed once to try to get out, which was refused.
The death of Jean-Yves Wargnies aroused a major wave of emotion in the Charleroi region. The victim had had several lives. Singer in a rock group in the 90s, he twice provided the first part of the group Indochine. In the early 2000s, he participated in the only Belgian edition of Star Academy. Chaining jobs in different sectors, he opened, a few years before his death, a café – “Chez ta mère” – on the Place de la Digue in Charleroi. The motto of the establishment: “Here the worker meets the lawyer”. From now on, on this place of Charleroi, one can see an imposing fresco representing it.
The tragic death of Jean-Yves Wargnies has shocked and saddened the Charleroi community. The details of the senseless shooting by Domenico Puddu have been shared in court, and his violent past has come to light. But let us not forget the life of the victim, who had a passion for music and entrepreneurship. His legacy lives on through his family, friends, and the establishment he created, “Chez ta mère.” The justice system will continue its proceedings, but we must also remember to honor the memory of Jean-Yves Wargnies and the impact he had on his community.