The Italian national who drove into two friends from Belgium in Rome in 2022 on the side of a road, killing them both, has been sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison at a court in Rome on Tuesday.
In a courtroom full of friends and family who had travelled from Belgium to see the verdict of the trial, Francesco Moretti (45) showed little remorse during the proceedings, according to VRT.
Jessy (24) and Wibe (25) were on a city trip in Italy on 8 October, 2022, when they saw 2 motorcyclists who had an accident. They stopped their rental car to help, but were then hit by Moretti, who was under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Wibe was 4 and a half months pregnant at the time.
A Dutch-speaking interpreter ensured that the victims' families could understand everything properly during today's verdict.
Evelyne Derumaux, Jessy's mother, welcomed the lengthy sentence in comments given to VRT.
"He's under judicial supervision for 3 years after that. He should never own a driver's license again. For me, this statement is a relief. I can't get my daughter back with it, but I'm glad it's over."
Derumaux also said how Moretti at no point expressed regret and was mainly staring into space.
His lawyers used the defence that Jessy and Wibe were also to blame for the accident because they were not wearing fluorescent vests and had not installed a warning triangle.
"But the judge clearly said that this was not an argument. He said they were completely innocent. That was very important to me," Jessy's mother said.
