The “mastermind” of the assassination of two members of Corsican banditry in 2017 in Bastia-Poretta was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison and a “monkey” to 23 years, following a trial where the main accused refused to appear.
For the attorneys general, “everything leads back” to Christophe Guazzelli, presented as the “mastermind”, “the executor”, “the organizer”, “the soul of this criminal project” who will lead his brother Richard to avenge their father Francis, assassinated in 2009, they had decided by requesting life imprisonment against him.
On December 5, 2017, around 11:20 a.m., Jean-Luc Codaccioni and Antoine Quilichini, two members of Corsican banditry, were the targets of shooting in the Bastia airport parking lot. Antoine Quilichini was killed instantly. Jean-Luc Codaccioni, an inmate of Borgo prison returning from leave in Paris, died seven days later.
Seven years later, 13 of the 15 accused were found guilty by the Bouches-du-Rhône Assize Court.
Two were acquitted, Joseph Menconi and François Marchioni, against whom the attorneys general had requested six years in prison and 15 years of criminal imprisonment.
Sentences ranging from three years of imprisonment – including one year suspended – to 30 years of criminal imprisonment with 20 years of security were imposed in this trial. Extremely rare fact: the main accused had refused to appear and challenged their lawyers, thus having no defense.
Cathy Châtelain, divorced Sénéchal, a prison guard at the Corsican prison of Borgo, who admitted her participation in these assassinations, was sentenced to 23 years of criminal imprisonment.
The one whose story inspired a film is also subject to a definitive ban on working in the public service – which made her smile -, socio-judicial supervision for five years and ten years banned from staying in Corsica, just like the main protagonists for this latest sentence.
Present in the box to listen to the verdict after weeks of refusing to appear, she was authorized by the president to kiss one of his daughters whom she had not seen for several years.
– Avenge the fathers –
Against Richard Guazzelli, presented as “the driver” on the day of the events, a sentence of 25 years of criminal imprisonment including 16 years of security was pronounced.
Jacques Mariani, who was behind bars at the time of the events and has already spent more than 38 years in detention, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. His lawyers have already announced that they will appeal.
Ange-Marie Michelosi, accused of having “canvassed” the “mushroom”, was sentenced to 25 years of criminal imprisonment, including 15 years of security.
According to the prosecution, the aim of the Guazzelli brothers, Ange-Marie Michelosi and Jacques Mariani was to avenge the deaths of their fathers, founders of the “Brise de Mer” or members of the banditry of South Corsica, whose deaths were all attributable to the opposing clan today led by Jean-Luc Germani.
They also wanted to “revive” the “Sea Breeze”, this historic criminal gang.
This scenario is based on the prowess of investigators who managed to decrypt “phones considered to be unhackable” and the “crucial” messages they contained, which shed light on the “role played by each person in the accomplishment of the overall criminal plan”.
“I brought down two godfathers,” claimed Christophe Guazzelli in one of these messages deciphered by investigators.
In an encrypted exchange with Jacques Mariani, Christophe Guazzelli explains having shot “in the head” of one of the two, before affirming: “I have given back all its power to the breeze…”, “take things in hand, I have given you back the strength” (sic).
“You are my idol”, “you avenged everyone at once”, replies Jacques Mariani, assuring in another message: “we are at war and we will win”.
A vendetta that does not seem to be over.
Since this double murder, at least five relatives of the accused have died violent deaths.
