Milan court rejects sentence deferral petition from 72-year-old Italian jeweller Mario Roggero

Second court rejection in Milan

The Surveillance Court of Milan declared inadmissible a petition for the deferral of prison sentence submitted on behalf of 72-year-old jeweller Mario Roggero. Roggero is currently held at Bollate prison to serve a definitive sentence of 14 years and nine months after shooting dead two robbers and wounding a third following a heist at his jewellery shop in Grinzane Cavour in April 2021. The ruling, issued on Thursday morning, aligns with the petition of the general prosecutor and marks his second procedural defeat in several days. The Surveillance Court of Turin rejected an identical request earlier in the week, prompting his defence attorneys, Sergio Novani and Stefano Marcolini, to file a duplicate request in Milan while seeking a presidential pardon from President Sergio Mattarella.

Judicial grounds and procedural limits

In a two-page ruling, court president Marcello Bortolato and judge Carmen D'Elia determined that the legal mechanism of sentence deferral cannot be applied to individuals already in custody. The Milan panel, joined by expert judges Bisconti and Morante, noted that deferral linked to a pardon petition is an exceptional measure limited to a maximum timeframe of six months. The judges ruled that the measure is strictly reserved for individuals who are still free before the execution of their sentence begins. Because Roggero submitted the Milan petition after entering Bollate prison in July 2026, the court held that granting the request would constitute an improper procedural repetition. The ruling noted that incarcerated individuals must instead rely on other legal mechanisms, including standard sentence suspension or home detention.

Courtroom statements and cassation appeal

Roggero addressed the Milan magistrates directly during a hearing on Wednesday, stating that his detention in Bollate had led him to reconsider the events of 28 April 2021. He told the court that he could have been less impulsive and more reflective during the confrontation at his jewellery store.

“Every life deserves respect according to that metaphor that we are all drops of a large ocean.”

Defence attorney Stefano Marcolini noted that speaking of formal repentance remained inappropriate at this stage, while confirming that Roggero would not repeat his actions. Defence lawyers requested house arrest as a secondary plea if sentence deferral was denied, and confirmed they are drafting an appeal to the Court of Cassation against the earlier Turin court rejection. Previous court filings included a letter from Roggero's wife, Mariangela Sandrone, who described his lengthy imprisonment as tantamount to a life sentence given his age and separation from his family.

Political reactions and self-defence legislation

The court ruling prompted immediate reactions from Italian political figures and government officials. Premier Giorgia Meloni described the jeweller's sentence as disproportionate, while several members of the ruling coalition reiterated calls for a presidential pardon. Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini visited Roggero in Bollate prison and sponsored a League party bill to reform Italy's self-defence statutes. The proposed legislation seeks to grant legal immunity to any reaction occurring in the immediate aftermath of an armed attack inside a residence or business. Coalition partners in Forza Italia greeted the legislative proposal with a cold reception. The League also announced an initiative to raise funds for Roggero's legal expenses during its upcoming gathering in Pontida.