Fellow inmates cheered him on: 14 years in prison for famous gangster after spectacular escape

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The other prisoners applauded as Rédoine Faïd boarded the helicopter. Three armed accomplices of the now 51-year-old hijacked a helicopter on July 1, 2018. They then flew straight to Réau prison, southeast of Paris, and took Faïd with them. He was arrested three months later. The Frenchman was convicted on Thursday, French media report.

Previously, however, the suspect had not only made the news with his crimes: the public already knew him as a popular talk show guest. After serving his first prison sentence in 2010, he published an autobiography that was much discussed. In ‘Bank Robber: From Suburban Settlement to Major Criminal’ he talked about ending his criminal career – which later turned out to be a lie.

Already his second escape from prison

For the prisoner, the spectacular escape in 2018 was not the first escape from prison. He had already staged a coup in 2013, when Faïd took four guards hostage and detonated explosives at the prison gates. The police organization Interpol then searched all 190 member states for the criminal.

Back behind bars, the Frenchman received a 25-year prison sentence in 2018 for an attempted robbery in 2010. A police officer was killed during the chase.

Faïd repents and apologizes

During Thursday’s trial, a court in Paris sentenced Faïd to 14 years in prison. To prevent another escape attempt, the sentencing took place under the strictest security measures. An elite unit of the French police was deployed, among other things.

In the dock, the 51-year-old apologized to pilot Stéphane Buy, who had forced him out of prison five years ago. “They forced me and warned me that my family was in danger,” Buy said at the time, according to “Spiegel”. For this, Faïd asked him for forgiveness in court.

The convicted criminal protests his remorse. He says he won’t back down again. He would not dare to do something like he did today in 2018 again. However, the court does not trust this word. (gs)

Source: Blick