A sentence of 11 years and two months was requested today by prosecutor Lorenzo Cosseddu for Andrea Giunoli, a 43-year-old worker accused of the murder of Francesco Salis, who was shot to death in August two years ago in the center of Santa Giusta.
The summary trial for the death of the 44-year-old bricklayer from Santa Giusta opened in court before Judge Serena Corrias. Also present were Andrea Giuntoli, his defense attorneys Patrizio Rovelli and Marina Caria, and the victim's siblings, Marco Salis (civil plaintiff with attorney Luciano Rubattu), Anna Carla, and Ottavio Salis (represented by Fabio Costa). The prosecutor reconstructed what happened on the night between August 9th and 10th two years ago, when Andrea Giuntoli was sitting at a table with Salis, his niece, a friend, and another man (who later became a key witness to the crime). A quiet evening escalated due to an argument over text messages Giuntoli sent to Salis's niece.
An argument escalated on Via Dante, where Giuntoli was supposed to meet the girl. Salis also arrived, holding a billhook, then Giuntoli got out of the car and fired a shotgun into the left side, a fatal blow for Salis. Giuntoli returned home, was met by the Carabinieri, and immediately admitted to the crime. During the search, the officers found the rifle, compatible with the 51 pellets found in the victim's body.
According to the prosecutor's office, when Andrea Giuntoli struck fellow villager Francesco Salis, there was no imminent danger, nor was the billhook he was holding proportionate to a firearm. The defense filed a motion for Giuntoli's immediate release, arguing that the terms of his pretrial detention had expired. The prosecutor opposed the motion, and the judge reserved his decision and adjourned the case until April 21st for the defense and civil parties to hear the case.
