Nicolas cocaign , 39 , appeared in court in the northern city of rouen for allegedly killing thierry baudry in january 2007 by punching and kicking him , stabbing him with a pair of scissors and suffocating him with a rubbish bag .
At the time mr horton was serving a life sentence without the chance of parole for stabbing a petrol-station attendant 19 times ; he was free on a " weekend furlough " as part of a well-intended but ill-advised programme massachusetts program .