The man accused of fatally shooting 11-year-old British girl Solaine Thornton has been pictured for the first time.
Moustachioed Dirk Raats allegedly used an unlicensed Winchester 22 to kill the youngster after shooting through a hedge into the garden of the family’s property in Saint-Herbot, Brittany.
The 71-year-old appeared at Brest judicial court yesterday evening, with his long hair tied back in a pony tail.
He is also accused of the attempted murder of Adrian Thornton, Solaine’s father, and Rachel, her mother.
Mr Thornton is currently gravely ill in a coma in hospital.
Mr Raat, understood to be a former teacher, is also shown in a series of pictures on a Flickr site in his name.
The page’s description lists his interests as “music, art, photograpy, guitars and soulfood”.
Other photos include landscape shots as well as pictures of several dogs.
French newspaper Le Telegramme reported Mr Raats, who with his wife had lived at the property with no neighbours between 2015 and 2019, apparently snapped after becoming enraged at Mr Thorton using a chainsaw to cut down trees.
After spending the evening drinking and smoking cannabis, he allegedly fired several shots, one of which struck and killed the little girl.
He then retreated into his home before surrendering to police.
His wife hid the gun, as well as another weapon, in a cardboard box, and both were swiftly found by officers.
(Additional reporting by Maria Ortega)
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