Dead French antiques dealer found by tax inspector

A French dealer of antiques in northern France was found dead by his tax inspector, according to local authorities.

Sylvain Barbier Ste Mairie, an Arras prosecutor, said that two tax inspectors (a man and a women) had visited the suspect's home on Monday to inspect the accounts of his "brocante" company, which deals in antiques and secondhand goods. He had threatened them with a gun, and then tied them up.

According to him, the 43-year-old tax inspector was found dead and tied up after sustaining multiple stab wounds in his back and thorax. Police released the 39-year-old female inspector who was tied to a chair.

The suspect was found dead in the annex of the house. He had a gunshot wound in the chest and a gun near him.

The prosecutor stated that "we believe this is premeditated murder" because the victims made an appointment with him, so he knew they would meet him. There were also tightening straps found on the scene.

Although he stated that a tax investigation was ongoing since May of this year, he couldn't give any details regarding the nature of the investigation.

The tax inspector who was murdered was also the head of the northern city's public finance centre. Although the suspect did not have a criminal record, he was forced to attend anger management classes in 2019 after an altercation with minors.

A French antiques dealer in northern France has killed his tax inspector and then killed himself, local authorities said on Tuesday.

Arras prosecutor Sylvain Barbier Sainte Mairie told reporters that two tax inspectors, a man and a woman, had come to the suspect's house on Monday to audit the accounts of his company a "brocante" shop dealing in antiques and second-hand goods, where he had threatened them with a gun and tied them up.

He said the 43-year old tax inspector had been found dead and tied up, having suffered multipe stab wounds to his back and thorax. The other inspector, a 39-year-old woman, was found tied to a chair and freed by police.

The suspect was found dead in an annex to the house in an apparent suicide due to gunshot, with a gunshot wound to the chest and a gun found near to him.

"We believe this is a case of premeditated murder, as the victims had made an appointment with the suspect, so he knew he would meet them, and we also found tightening straps on the scene," the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor said a tax investigation had been under way since May this year, but he said he could give no details about the nature of the investigation.

The murdered tax inspector was the head of the northern city of Arras public finances centre. The suspect had no criminal record, but in 2019 he had been forced to take anger management classes following an altercation with minors, the prosecutor said.

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