Damien C., an Australian businessman, was sentenced to 28 months in prison on Monday, October 7 in Nice, after brutally assaulting his wife, Anna, to the point where she was placed in a coma. Their once glamorous life, marked by luxury and success in real estate, turned into a nightmare of alcohol abuse and violence, report Nice-Matin. The couple, who once lived in Monaco and Dubai, saw their relationship deteriorate after financial troubles, leading them to a destructive lifestyle.

The COVID-19 pandemic saw the start of Damien’s downfall. “I lost my resident status in Monaco, I started having financial problems,” he admitted during his trial after spending 17 months in pre-trial detention. Facing a separate money laundering case, he fell back into his addiction, leading to frequent violent altercations. Their children were eventually placed in care, as both parents spiralled into alcoholism.

The breaking point came on April 12, 2023, when Anna was rushed to the hospital with serious head trauma. “Her life is in danger. She must be put into an artificial coma,” recalled her lawyer, highlighting the severity of the injuries. Although the initial charge of attempted murder was reduced to “habitual violence against a spouse,” the court heard harrowing details, including photos of Anna’s bruised and swollen face. Damien defended himself, saying, “We lost control. There was violence on both sides.”

Despite the defence’s arguments of mutual toxicity in the relationship, prosecutor Sabine Neal pointed to “the brain injuries, the haematomas of different ages all over the victim’s body, which cannot be explained by a simple fall.” Although the prosecution requested 38 months of imprisonment, the court sentenced Damien to 28 months, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under electronic monitoring. He remains under investigation in a Parisian money laundering case.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Damien expressed a desire to turn his life around, stating, “Out of all this nightmare, one good thing happened to me. I got out of alcohol without medication.” However, Anna, who nearly lost her life, could no longer look at her husband.

Image by Jack Brodie: Nice Palace of Justice