Nine years in prison for man who led violent kidnapping of Donnarumma and his partner

A French court has sentenced Ilyas Kherbouch, nicknamed 'Ganito', to nine years in prison and an 80,000-euro fine for leading the violent kidnap of Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, then at Paris Saint-Germain, and his partner Alessia Elefante in July 2023. The ruling was published in the early hours of Saturday after a trial held on 10 and 11 September at the Paris Criminal Court, which had to be briefly suspended due to insults and threats from the main defendant.

• Ilyas Kherbouch, 21, was sentenced to nine years and an 80,000-euro fine as the leader of the assault.
• Khyan Mamouni, named by prosecutors as the other mastermind, was acquitted.
• A third man, Moktar Diop, 24, received five years, two of them suspended.
• Donnarumma's partner was only a few weeks pregnant and lost the baby shortly afterward.
• The estimated haul from the robbery was around one million euros.

Ilyas Kherbouch receives nine-year sentence for Donnarumma kidnapping

The 21-year-old, known in the case as 'Ganito', was identified by the court as the ringleader of the attack on the Italian goalkeeper's home in Paris's 8th arrondissement. Along with the nine-year prison term, he must pay a fine of 80,000 euros. During the hearings, his conduct forced the judge to interrupt proceedings as a string of insults and threats echoed around the courtroom.

The alleged co-mastermind was acquitted in the Paris robbery case

Prosecutors had described Khyan Mamouni, 22, as the other high-ranking figure behind the operation. The court, however, did not consider the case against him sufficiently proven and ordered his acquittal. That decision leaves 'Ganito' as the only convicted ringleader, with a third participant receiving a shorter sentence for his involvement.

Moktar Diop handed five years for his role in the violent home invasion

Moktar Diop, 24, was sentenced to five years in prison, two of which are suspended. His role in the assault made him the other prominent figure to be punished, though the court set a substantially lower penalty than the one given to Kherbouch, reflecting the differing levels of responsibility.

Donnarumma and his partner were beaten and tied up during the attack

The assault took place at the goalkeeper's luxury home in the French capital, where Donnarumma and Alessia Elefante were restrained and beaten by the intruders. The tragedy deepened soon after the incident: Elefante, who was in the earliest stages of pregnancy, suffered a miscarriage.

Elefante was only a few weeks pregnant and, shortly after the incident, lost the baby in a miscarriage.

The estimated haul from the Paris home invasion reached one million euros

Investigators put the value of the goods taken by the robbers at around one million euros. That figure underlines the scale of a planned operation that went well beyond a simple theft, involving kidnapping, violence and intimidation against the two people inside the property.

The Manchester City goalkeeper did not attend the Paris trial

Donnarumma, now at Manchester City, and Alessia Elefante were not present at the hearings. Their absence did not halt the process, which has now concluded with Kherbouch's conviction and the unexpected acquittal of Mamouni as the main storylines of the verdict.