Yellow Vest boxer leaves jail to begin open-prison sentence

Christophe Dettinger, the ex-boxer who was convicted for beating up police officers during a Yellow Vest demonstration, has left custody to begin his year long open-prison sentence.

Christophe Dettinger will travel between an open-prison and his job. Screenshot

The former national light-heavyweight champion was caught on camera on 5 January punching policemen during clashes on a footbridge over the river Seine in Paris.

Dettinger, 37, who has been in custody since turning himself in after the attack, left Fleury-Mérogis prison to go to the Corbeil-Essonnes open-prison.

From there he will start the routine of going to his job as a local government employee in Arpajon and then back to the open-prison at night.

The married father-of-three, who had no previous convictions, apologised for his actions during a court hearing on 14 February.

"I wanted to stop an injustice but I ended up creating another," Dettinger told the court.

The Yellow Vest movement – named after the high-visibility safety vests worn by demonstrators – started over proposals to increase fuel prices but it grew into a revolt against the economic policies and leadership style of President Emmanuel Macron.

Dettinger, who also received an 18-month suspended sentence, is banned from visiting Paris for six months and must pay his two victims 2,000 and 3,000 euros.