Bricca murder in Alatri: life sentence for Roberto Toson and 24 years for his son confirmed
Rome Court of Appeal has confirmed sentences for father and son Toson for the death of 19-year-old Thomas Bricca, who was killed in Alatri on 30 January 2023.
Rome appeal court upholds convictions for the Toson family
Rome Court of Appeal has confirmed life imprisonment for Roberto Toson and a 24-year prison sentence for his son Mattia, found responsible for the murder of Thomas Bricca, the 19-year-old shot on the street in Alatri, in the province of Frosinone, on the evening of 30 January 2023. ANSA Cronaca reports.
The second-instance verdict mirrors the one issued in March of last year by Frosinone Court of Assizes. During the new prosecution argument — made necessary after judges ordered a technical assessment of mobile phone records and the hearing of two witnesses — the prosecution office requested life imprisonment for both defendants.
Reconstruction of the attack
According to investigators, Mattia Toson was the one who fired, riding a scooter driven by his father Roberto. The target of the attack, however, was alleged to be a friend of the victim, not Thomas himself. That evening the young man was on the street with some friends when he was struck by several gunshots fired by the two men on the two-wheeled vehicle. Taken to hospital, Thomas Bricca died shortly after.
The investigation focused from the outset on the Toson family, reconstructing a climate of tensions between groups of young people in the area. Among the elements considered central by the prosecution were Mattia's alleged false alibi and testimony from the boy's ex-girlfriend, who reported the presence of a white helmet in the boot of the young man's car. The helmet was never recovered, but investigators considered it consistent with the one worn by one of the two men on the scooter captured by surveillance cameras.
Words from family members
Thomas's mother, Federica Sabellico, described the sentence as "another important milestone". "I am exhausted, worn out but satisfied because today the sentences were confirmed, respectively 24 years for the son and life imprisonment for the father," she stated. "We want Thomas to have dignity: the truth must come out, there will still be more to fight for, but we move forward."
Present in court was also the victim's father, Paolo Bricca. "I was confident and now I am happy," he said after the verdict was read. "Unfortunately nobody brings Thomas back, but justice has been done."
The lawyer for the mother, Nicola Ottaviani, emphasised that "the telephone intercepts, the environmental recordings, those which were ultimately acquired, represent a sort of extended confession. Now a boy of 18 years is no longer here and does not come back to life, but at least legality has been restored."
Source: ANSA Cronaca