State requests four-year sentence for STIB conductor’s killer

State prosecutors yesterday requested that Alexandre Vanderlest be handed a four-year prison sentence for his 2012 fatal assault on 56-year-old STIB conductor Iliaz Tahiraj. The deadly incident stemmed from a confrontation following a traffic accident between a car and a STIB bus.

Vanderlest, 30, a passenger in the car, violently confronted Tahiraj, striking him with a blow to the head. The STIB employee died after his head struck the ground. The court’s judgment will be announced on February 10.

The state's request of four years took into account that, although the action to commit injury was intentional, there was no intent to kill. The prosecution argued that, although Vanderlest had been drinking and was in a state of shock following the accident, his actions were not justified. The defence lawyer, Laurent Kennes, defended his client by citing the extraordinary circumstances, which in most cases would not result in death.

The April 7, 2012 incident sparked shock and outrage among STIB workers, bringing Brussels’ transit network to a halt for days as transport unions lobbied for increased security.