French President Emmanuel Macron's former bodyguard got a three-year sentence on Friday for assaulting two young demonstrators during an anti-capitalist protest in 2018.
Alexandre Benalla was fired after a video emerged showing him being rough with May Day demonstrators. He was also convicted of faking documents and illegally carrying a firearm.
Macron, who took the office in 2017, fired Benalla after the video showed him striking a young man and grabbing a young woman by the neck at a May Day protest in Paris.
The former bodyguard, now aged 30, was wearing a police helmet, even though he had only been given leave to attend the protest as an observer.
In addition, the presidency was accused of a cover-up for failing to report Benalla to the police until French daily Le Monde revealed the existence of the video two months after the incident.
"Benallagate" ballooned into the first major test for Macron's presidency.
The former bouncer denied the charges at his trial, affirming that he had acted "by reflex" to help officers arrest unruly protesters.
Benalla started working as a bodyguard for Macron in 2016 and was promoted to a senior security role after Macron's May 2017 victory, becoming a trusted confidant and right-hand man seen at the president's side in countless photos.
Follow the latest news on Google News
