Italian Jeweller Sentenced to 14 Years and 9 Months, Right Turns Him into Symbol After Killing Two Robbers

Mario Roggero, the Italian jeweller who became a controversial figure after killing two people who had robbed his shop, has been jailed to serve a sentence of 14 years and 9 months for murder and attempted murder.

The incident occurred in 2021 in Grinzane Cavour, a town in Italy’s Piedmont region. Three robbers entered Roggero’s jewellery shop and took valuables.

Security camera footage, frequently published by Italian media, shows the robbers leaving the premises. Roggero then emerges behind them carrying a pistol he had kept beneath the counter.

The footage shows that the jeweller fired four shots towards the car in which the robbers were fleeing. Two of them died, while the third was wounded in the leg and later arrested by authorities, The Times writes.

Italy’s Supreme Court rejected his appeal and upheld the previous ruling. According to the judges’ assessment, the robbers no longer posed an immediate threat when Roggero opened fire, as they were leaving the scene.

During the trial, prosecutors stressed that Roggero could not act as both police officer and judge. “You cannot be a police officer, judge and executioner. No law, legal or moral, permits this,” the prosecutor was reported to have said.

However, the case has divided Italian public opinion. A large part of the right-wing political spectrum sees Roggero as a symbol of self-defence and the fight against crime.

He has been supported by prominent political figures, including Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who has asked the Italian president to pardon him. Salvini described Roggero as “an honest man”, stating that a 72-year-old should not remain in a cell alongside other criminals.

Roberto Vannacci, a hard-right politician, has also defended the jeweller. During a rally, he wore a T-shirt bearing the words, “We are all Roggero.”

The court rulings were also supported by footage showing what happened before the shooting. The robbers had tied up Roggero’s wife and daughter, who worked in the jewellery shop, with plastic ties, and had threatened him with a fake gun in order to take the jewellery.

After the robbers left the jewellery shop, Roggero chased them and fired at their vehicle. One of them fell to the ground and died, while footage showed that the jeweller struck him even after he had been seriously wounded.

Throughout the proceedings, Roggero insisted that he had acted to protect his family. “I wanted to save my wife and eliminate the risk that they would return to kill us, since they had seen our faces,” he told the court.

Before reporting to prison, the jeweller sent a message to his supporters, thanking them for their solidarity. Meanwhile, the victims’ families are demanding that the court ruling be enforced and that they receive financial compensation, as Roggero has been ordered to pay around €780,000 in damages.