Story By: James King, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
A 26-year-old Italian man has been jailed for 20 months after he started this fight with the groom when he decided to grope the bride at a wedding reception.
The video of the brawl, which involved several well-dressed wedding-goers, was captured in the town of Specchia in Italy’s Salento region on 29th May this year.
A police investigation was launched after the footage began to circulate on social media, and the accused, identified only by his initials G.C., who is from the town of Tricase in the south-eastern province of Lecce, got into a fight with the groom after he was spotted groping the bride.
The court heard from witnesses and watched videos that showed he had approached the bride at the bar and after embracing her to wish her well, had then stuck his hands out and groped her several times on the breasts.
The police at the time confirmed that the fight broke out because the best man sexually assaulted the bride in a story that went around the world.
The bride, who was not named, told the cops that during the wedding reception, she went to look for her husband and bumped into the best man, identified only as 26-year-old G.C., near the bar.
She said that G.C. grabbed her from behind and pushed his private parts against her before fondling her breasts several times.
The bride said she tried to move away, but his grip around her waist was too tight, so she told him several times to let her go.
The best man reportedly refused to let the bride go and only loosened his grip once he saw the groom walking over.
The bride returned to her table with the groom and G.C. sat down and continued to drink as if nothing had happened.
The groom then found out about the incident and confronted his best friend.
The confrontation turned violent and the groom punched the best man several times during the fight, which ended up on the street.
The married couple was planning to be present to hear the sentence when he was jailed for one year and eight months, and they are currently suing the convicted man for compensation for the ruined wedding and damage caused.
He was also banned from working in any place involving children, including schools, or any role involving the protection and care of minors.
The convicted man says he plans to appeal the judgement and claims he was a victim of assault from the groom, the groom’s brother and the groom’s father after he refused to drink.
