A 43-year-old Italian-Serbian man has been sentenced to seven years in prison by Monaco’s criminal court for a series of burglaries carried out in the Principality in the summer of 2014, despite firmly maintaining throughout the hearing that he had never set foot in Monaco…
As reported by Monaco Matin, the prosecution’s case relied heavily on DNA evidence recovered from multiple crime scenes, including traces found on a sheet, a piece of wood, a roller shutter, a bay window and even a knife during several break-ins. For years, the investigation stalled before a breakthrough in 2022 linked the genetic profile to the accused, who had meanwhile been arrested in Switzerland for similar offences and later extradited to Monaco.
The burglaries targeted high-end properties in Monte-Carlo, including apartments in the Victor Palace and a villa on Chemin de la Rousse, where losses alone were estimated at €1.5 million. Investigators described a consistent and organised method, involving climbing façades, forcing entry and removing safes containing jewellery, luxury watches, clothing and cash. None of the stolen items were ever recovered.
The defence challenged the reliability of DNA as decisive proof, arguing that secondary transfer could not be excluded and pointing to the accused’s claim that he was working in Milan at the time. Expert testimony acknowledged this possibility but stressed the extremely low likelihood of such widespread transfer across multiple locations.
Prosecutors instead highlighted the repetition of evidence, the number of samples and the defendant’s past convictions in Switzerland and Italy, presenting a broader pattern of criminal activity.
The court ultimately found him guilty by majority decision, ordering that he remain in custody.