A man has been found guilty of seven counts of murder and 79 counts of attempted murder in one of Belgium's deadliest road tragedies in recent years.
Paolo Falzone, 38, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for driving into a carnival crowd in Strépy-Bracquegnies, a city in the district of La Louvière in Wallonia.
The tragedy unfolded on 20 March 2022, when hundreds of people were taking part in carnival celebrations in the city. As participants made their way through the streets in early hours of the morning, Falzone's car ploughed into the hundreds of people taking part in traditional Belgian Gilles celebrations, leaving seven people dead and around 40 injured.
During the investigation, prosecutors said Falzone was travelling at around 160 km/h, was under the influence of alcohol and was using his mobile phone when the vehicle struck the crowd.
The ruling was delivered on Wednesday by the Hainaut Assize Court. The court followed the sentence requested by prosecutors and rejected the defence's calls to limit the prison term to 25 years.
Judges said they found no mitigating circumstances in Falzone's favour, pointing instead to what they described as his "contemptuous attitude towards human life".
Intention of killing
The jury concluded that Falzone intended to kill all seven victims.
The defence maintained throughout the proceedings that the collision was a tragic accident. Falzone admitted speeding but denied deliberately targeting the crowd.
Antonino Falzone, who shares the same surname with the defendant, but is not related, was a passenger in the car. He was sentenced on Wednesday to two years in prison, suspended for three years.
Families of victims speak out
The verdict brings to a close a case that left a lasting scar on Belgium and on the community of Strépy-Bracquegnies.
Grégory D'Andrea, the brother of Gilles D'Andrea, one of the victims of the tragedy, expressed his satisfaction following the 27-year sentence handed down to Falzone.
"His place is in prison, even if it may be painful for his family, I can understand that. But it won't bring the victims back, that's clear," he said.
After six weeks of hearings during which he had to "hear everything, see everything," he explained it was "impossible" for him to envision anything other than a sentence of at least 25 years with immediate imprisonment for Paolo Falzone .
"We finally have a sentence that is logical in relation to his actions, so I think that's very good," he said.
"I'm looking forward to two or three days of physical recovery, and then getting back to my professional life, my private life. I wouldn't say rebuild, because we'll never erase March 20th, but at least to continue living with that March 20th."
