The trial for the armored vehicle attack on the Aurelia highway has concluded with convictions for nearly all the Sardinian defendants . A few minutes ago, after a lengthy deliberation, Livorno preliminary hearing judge Francesca Mannini handed down sentences ranging from 6 to 10 years in prison to the eleven defendants who chose the summary trial, with only one case being dismissed.
Overall, the sentences are less severe than requested by the Prosecutor's Office, which had requested 147 years and 8 months in prison with sentences of up to 14 years and 8 months . At the center of the trial is the sensational robbery of March 28, 2025, on the Aurelia road in San Vincenzo, when an armed commando targeted two Battistolli vans carrying €4.6 million. The robbers blocked the road, set fire to several vehicles, and used explosives to open one of the armored vehicles, managing to make off with approximately €3 million. Investigators were led on the trail of the Sardinian gang by the cry of " Ajo tutti ci siamo! ", captured live on social media by several witnesses on their cell phones.
The sentences: 10 years were handed down to Francesco Palmas of Jerzu; 9 years, 10 months, and 20 days to Alberto Mura of Ottana; 9 years, 10 months, and 15 days to Antonio Moni of Castelnuovo Val di Cecina; 9 years and 8 months to Salvatore Giovanni Antonio Tilocca of Bottida; 9 years, 5 months, and 10 days to Franco Piras of Bari Sardo; 9 years and 4 months to Renzo Cherchi of Irgoli; 9 years, 2 months, and 20 days to Francesco Rocca of Orotelli; 8 years and 4 months to Marco Sulis and Giovanni Columbu of Villagrande Strisaili and Ollolai, respectively; 6 years, 6 months, and 20 days to Salvatore Campus and 6 years to Nicola Fois of Olzai and Girasole, respectively. The judge ordered Antonio Stochino of Arzana not to proceed. He was charged exclusively with complicity in the theft of the car used by the robbers.
The attack, which the prosecution had planned for months, had been particularly spectacular: vehicles parked across the Aurelia highway to block it, weapons of war, cars set on fire, and explosives . Footage taken by drivers and shared on social media documented the various stages of the attack, contributing to the investigation that led investigators to the Sardinian trail. The defendants were represented by, among others, lawyers Lorenzo Soro, Marco Talini, Marcello Caddori, Andrea Nieddu, Giuseppe Talanas, Potito Flagella, Angelo Magliocchetti, Carlo Ambrosini, Antonio Mereu, and Francesco Marongiu.
