Cherished Number Plates News

Sniper Tries to Get Away With False Number Plates

06 October 2008

A French prisoner was shot while he was in jail; however what is more interesting about this case is that it wasn’t a fellow inmate who committed the brutal shooting such as in many other jail killings. Actually, the shot didn’t even come from within the prison walls, but from a sniper perched some distance away. False plates are believed to be used by the suspect.

The suspect who is also wanted for numerous other crimes including burglary was caught by French police shortly afterwards.

Jail inmates were in the prison exercise yard when a shot rang out last Sunday, killing the targeted inmate who, born in 1979, had links to organised crime and was set to be questioned about a murder case. The Dauphine Libere newspaper identified him as Sghair Lamiri and said he was serving an eight-year sentence for robberies committed in 2001 and 2002.

A second shot hit a friend of the murdered prisoner as he tried to help. He was luckily only hit in the hand and is said to be in a fine condition.

The man who is being retained by police used false number plates on his motorcycle in an unsuccessful bid to try and get away with his identity kept secret.

Ms Dati did not name the suspected gunman, aged 58, who has been remanded in custody.

Renata Dati

She said: "He denies the facts, but he was arrested when he was getting to his motorbike which had a false licence plate and his rifle with telescopic sight was still warm."

She said it was the first time in France that someone in prison had been killed from outside.

Some 100 police officers and fire-fighters were sent to the jail after the incident.

Prison security official Martin Parkouda said several prisoners refused to return to their cells after the shooting, and in the ensuing unrest throughout the prison, others threw flammable material on to a workshop causing a fire which was later put out by fire fighters.