Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Lawyer dies in love triangle

John Lichfield
Thursday 14 January 1999 00:02 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A 34-YEAR-OLD lawyer walked into a fashionable restaurant in the centre of Toulouse on Monday night, ordered a glass of champagne, took one sip and then shot himself.

Just over an hour earlier, another lawyer had been shot three times, and seriously wounded, by someone who had lain in wait for him outside his office, and it did not take police long to establish a link between the two incidents. The wife of the man who committed suicide, Maitre Jean-Charles Ruffie, was also a lawyer who worked for the victim of the earlier attack, Maitre Patrick Abgrall, 47. Police believe that Mr Ruffie suspected - perhaps wrongly - that his wife was having an affair with Mr Abgrall.

Monique Brocard, head of the Toulouse bar association, commented: "The fact that those involved are lawyers is irrelevant. Personal passions exist beneath lawyers' robes."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in