Nicolas Ullens Trial Suspended Until November 4 Over Procedural Error
Nicolas Ullens de Schooten was found guilty of the assassination of his stepmother, Myriam Lechien, on October 6 before the Nivelles assize court in Walloon Brabant. The verdict immediately triggered a major legal dispute regarding procedural errors during the jury’s deliberations, leading to a suspension of the proceedings until November 4.
Nicolas Ullens De Schooten Is Found Guilty of Assassination
The Brabant wallon assize court delivered its verdict on Tuesday, October 6, recognizing 61-year-old Nicolas Ullens de Schooten guilty of assassinating Myriam “Mimi” Lechien, wife of baron Guy Ullens de Schooten.
That narrow 7-5 margin immediately became the focal point of a sharp legal challenge. Defence counsel Me Jean-Philippe Mayence argued that the professional judges on the bench violated the secrecy of the deliberation by publicly aligning themselves with the seven jurors who voted in favor of premeditation. The defence maintains that the court should not take a position on an accessory question like premeditation when it passes a 7-5 vote, as such intervention is legally restricted to principal questions.
The defence attorney pointed out that a single vote shift would have removed the premeditation finding entirely, raising a fundamental question about the impartiality of the proceedings.
Trial Is Suspended Following Request to Recuse Judges
When the court reconvened on Wednesday morning, presiding judge Pierre Delcour announced that the trial was formally suspended until November 4, following the submission of a formal request to recuse the three professional judges.
If the judges refuse the recusal request, the matter automatically shifts to the Court of Cassation, which must rule on the procedural question within eight days. This legal maneuver halts all immediate debates regarding the final criminal sentence.
Civil parties involved in the case expressed caution regarding the potential impact of the defence strategy. Me Marko Obradovic, representing the sister of the victim, noted that while the defence views the court’s intervention on an accessory question as a significant hurdle, the civil parties are actively analyzing the official text of the ruling to determine their position, according to La Libre.
Next Steps Before the Nivelles Court
All trial participants, including the remaining five alternate jurors, have been instructed to return to the Nivelles courtroom on November 4. Complex criminal trials require specialized legal defense counsel and independent appellate experts to address procedural challenges.
“I am sorry to have to interrupt the trial,” Me Mayence stated, emphasizing that the formal challenge was necessary to address what he characterized as a significant procedural fault affecting the objectivity of the judicial body.