Delphine Pinto sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder of her husband in Oise
The special assize court of Oise has sentenced Delphine Pinto to 30 years of imprisonment for orchestrating the assassination of her husband Jean-Christophe Piel in 2021.
Delphine Pinto sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder of her husband
On Friday 12 June 2026, shortly before midnight, the special assize court of Oise delivered its verdict. Delphine Pinto, aged 48, was found guilty of plotting the murder of her husband Jean-Christophe Piel and will serve a sentence of thirty years of imprisonment. The tragedy occurred on 24 August 2021, when the victim's body was discovered at his residence in Breuil-le-Sec in the Oise department, struck by a gunshot wound to the head.
Yassine Zekri, the gunman who shot Jean-Christophe Piel on instruction, was also sentenced to thirty years in prison with a minimum custodial period of two-thirds of the sentence. The day before sentencing, the public prosecutor's representative had requested a life sentence for both defendants, with a minimum term of twenty-two years. In their final statements before the jury, both defendants continued to deny their involvement.
Delphine Pinto, who was in the process of divorcing the victim, quietly reiterated that she had nothing to do with her husband's death. However, she had acknowledged a few days earlier that she may have wished for her husband's death and had communicated this wish to her lover.
Three other individuals were also tried since 29 May. Delphine Pinto's lover received sixteen years in prison for knowingly aiding in the preparation of the crime. Another man, found guilty of providing the murder weapon and with a history of legal recidivism, was sentenced to ten years in prison, four years less than what the public prosecution had sought. Delphine Pinto's son from a previous relationship was acquitted of charges of complicity through silence, despite the public prosecutor's representative having requested four years in prison against him.
Lawyers for the victim's relatives stated that the sentence was fair and reported their clients' sense of relief. Some defence lawyers may appeal to the Court of Cassation.
Source: France Info