French man 'murdered his best friend for killing his pet goldfish' when he went on holiday



A man murdered his best friend because he thought he killed his pet goldfish, it has been claimed.

Philip Emery, 55, was found dead with a cracked skull in a water tank on Tuesday in the city of Le Mans, 136 miles south-west of Paris.

His neighbour, named only as Mario P, was held by French police on Wednesday on suspicion of killing him in revenge.

Claims: A man murdered his best friend because he killed his goldfish (file picture)

Le Parisien newspaper reported he became enraged when Emery, who was petsitting his fish when he went away in February, dumped the aquarium on his doorstep.

The fish were dead when he arrived home, and the two friends stopped talking to each other following its demise.

Police were today said to conducting a search for the murder weapon, which they said could possibly be a hammer.

Residents paid tribute to Emery, a former carpenter, who was said to have moved to the house in 2000.

