French terrorist spent 15 days in psychiatric hospital

Mohamed Merah, the French-Algerian shooter who boasted that he 'brought France to its knees' during three days of terrorism, spent 15 days in a psychiatric hospital in 2008 after he tried to commit suicide.

According to the French daily, L'Express, Merah was arrested and spent 18 months in prison for after being convicted of a series of assaults, one on a teacher, and thefts.

The chief investor of the three days of terror in Toulouse, Francois Molins, said Mareh adopted radical Islam while in prison and where he had also tried suicide while serving the end of his sentence on house arrest.

Merah, 24, targetted French soldiers and Jews. In three days he killed three French paratroopers, three Jewish schoolchildren, and a rabbi.

Police reported that during a 30-hour seige and firefight at his apartment, Merah was found dead after he jumped out of a window.