Suspected Paris killer of Argentine rugby star begs forgiveness

The suspected killer of former Argentine rugby international Federico Martin Aramburu, who was gunned down after a dispute in a Paris brasserie in March 2022, on Friday asked forgiveness from the victim's family as the trial concluded.

Far-right activists Loik Le Priol, 32, and Romain Bouvier, 35, risked life in prison on charges of murder and attempted murder but prosecutors have asked for Le Priol, who fired the fatal shots, and Bouvier, who opened fire initially, to be given 27 and 20 years in jail respectively.

Read morePolice arrest two main suspects in Paris murder of Argentinian rugby star Aramburu

Aramburu was killed aged 42 after a successful career which saw him play 22 times for Argentina and become a firm favourite in France's Basque Country following a stint with local southwestern side Biarritz, where he later lived.

The court in Paris is due to hand down its verdict later Friday evening.

"I am a Christian, just like you," Le Priol said in his final words to Aramburu's family.

"The pope is in Paris today," he added, referring to Pope Leo XIV's visit to France. "I don't know if it's a sign, but I hope that one day they will find the strength to forgive me, and that I, too, will find the strength to forgive myself."

The requested sentence of 27 years is "staggering -- it's the age I was at the time of the incident," he reflected, ashen-faced, while adding that during the three weeks of proceedings, "I've come to understand a lot about myself."

'Justice for Fede'

"I will never have the words" to address "the suffering and dignity of Mr Aramburu's family," added Bouvier, his voice choking with emotion as he faced them and supporters including prominent sports figures, such as rugby player Thomas Lievremont and former tennis star and now French Open director Amelie Mauresmo, who lives in the Basque Country.

The two men, who had fired ten rounds -- emptying their entire magazines -- maintained during the proceedings that they had been defending themselves against Aramburu and his friend and former teammate Shaun Hegarty.

While acknowledging the use of violence with weapons, the defence cited childhood trauma in Bouvier’s case and post-traumatic stress disorder for Le Priol.

Both defendants, former members of the now-dissolved far-right movement GUD, denied intending to kill Aramburu in their initial statements to the court.

But Hegarty in his testimony earlier this month angrily accused the pair of seeking to "evade responsibility" for their actions and said they should stay "in prison for as long as possible."

Aramburu's widow Maria had asked the court for a verdict that would allow their three children "to build their lives as adults".

The trial has prompted calls for justice in Aramburu's native Argentina, with members of the Pumas wearing black T-shirts bearing the words "Justice for Fede" ahead of a match this month.