Man who slapped Macron risks jail at court hearing

French President Emmanuel Macron is protected by a security member after getting slapped by a member of the public during a visit in Tain-L'Hermitage, France

A 28-year-old mediaeval history enthusiast who slapped French President Emmanuel Macron risks up to three years in jail when he appears in court for the first time on Thursday, having told investigators he acted ‘without thinking’. The man, named as Damien T., has been in custody since the incident on Tuesday and is expected to be convicted of assaulting a public figure when he appears before a magistrate in the southern town of Valence. The charge carries a maximum three-year jail sentence and a fine of 45,000 euros ($55,000), although the court will take into account the defendant's clean criminal record and any expression of remorse. ‘He contends that he acted instinctively and 'without thinking' to express his annoyance,’ a statement from the local prosecutor's office said late on Wednesday.