Italy’s Supreme Court has sentenced jeweller Mario Roggero (72), who in 2021 killed two of three masked and armed robbers in his workshop whilst his wife and one of his daughters were present, to 14 years and 9 months in prison.

This was reported by Corriere della Sera.

The robbery at Roggero’s workshop – which was not the first – took place in the small municipality of Grinzane Cavour in the north-western corner of Italy on 28 April 2021; the three robbers were attempting to flee the scene with the loot when the goldsmith fired at them with his pistol, killing two of them and wounding the third. With the rejection of the appeal by the lower courts, a legal conclusion has thus been reached in the case against the 72-year-old father of four, who now risks having to close his shop and missing out on seeing his eight grandchildren grow up.

The case has divided both public opinion and the political landscape in Italy, with the right wing reacting strongly to the verdict.

Lega leader and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has already called on the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, to pardon Roggero. Forza Italia (FI) Senator Maurizio Gasparri, Futuro Nazionale (FN) leader Roberto Vannacci, the Governor of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, and the well-known journalist Giuseppe Cruciani have also publicly taken Roggero’s side. Meanwhile, the 72-year-old’s lawyers are considering bringing their client’s case before the European Court of Human Rights.

In addition to the prison sentence, the Supreme Court has ordered Roggero to pay 780,000 euros to the victims’ bereaved families.

The details of how the robbery unfolded are known to both the court and the public:

The account of that dramatic day is recounted in an eight-minute video which goes through the sequence of events frame by frame – from the robbery to the murders. It is 6.45 pm when the robbers enter the jeweller’s and threaten Roggero, his wife and his daughter. All three robbers have their faces covered, and all are holding a knife. All have a pistol in their hand. Which, as in real life, is a toy.

Although the tension is palpable, the safe is emptied without any unforeseen incidents or outbursts. With the loot in hand, the criminals leave the shop via the back door and head towards the car parked a few metres away. Not far away stands Roggero, a revolver in his hand. The three robbers get into the car. But they do not manage to drive off.

Roggero fires four shots at the car.

Modica is hit in the leg. Mazzarino, lifeless, tries to hide behind the car, but collapses to the ground and dies. Spinelli stumbles and falls to the ground whilst fleeing. Roggero kicks him several times in the head and back. The thief gets to his feet and flees, but dies. The goldsmith returns to the shop and dials 112.

“This cannot be called self-defence,” rules the Supreme Court, which holds that life is more important than property.

The court disregards the fear, adrenaline and trauma experienced by Roggero, who had been robbed several times before, comments Attilio Fontana, who believes that the 72-year-old does not deserve to serve his sentence alongside ‘real criminals’.”