No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveGuards get 5 years for attempted murder during Costa Rica wedding of...

Guards get 5 years for attempted murder during Costa Rica wedding of Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady

PUNTARENAS — Two former bodyguards of Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen and her US football star husband Tom Brady were sentenced to five years in prison Friday for opening fire on photographers in Costa Rica.

One of the two photographers who made the complaint works for the Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The shooting took place in April 2009 as the powerhouse couple celebrated their wedding at a seaside home in Costa Rica.

A court in the tourist resort town of Puntarenas, on the central pacific coast, found Costa Rican guard Miguel Solis and Colombian Alexander Rivas guilty of attempted murder, while a third – Manuel Valverde of Costa Rica – was acquitted.

The three judges ruled unanimously. The court also ordered the defendants to pay ₡5 million (about $10,000) in damages to each of the two photographers.

The defendants refused to testify during the proceedings, and prosecutors lacked exculpatory evidence.

Yuri Cortez, a Salvadoran who works for AFP, and Costa Rican colleague Carlos Aviles had been trying to take pictures of the wedding  from a neighbor’s property.

The neighbor had given permission to Cortez and Aviles to shoot the wedding on their property. The three private guards stopped the two photographers and forced to leave the vicinity near where Bundchen lived.

The guards later summoned the photographers backed to the house, and said New England Patriots quarterback Brady wanted to speak with them, according to Cortez. He said the guards then began to threaten and menace the photographers, demanding they turn over their cameras and memory cards.

The two refused and returned to their car when they said a bodyguard fired a shot at the vehicle. The bullet shattered the rear windshield of the car and barely missed the photographers, according to court files. Neither of the photographers was hurt.

Trending Now

Protests Rise Over Panama Canal’s New Water Project

Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino on Tuesday defended the construction of a new reservoir for the interoceanic canal and criticized those who oppose the...

2025 Gold Cup: Honduras Advances After Dramatic Shootout, Mexico Ends Goal Drought

Honduras, with a surprising and dramatic penalty shootout victory over Panama, and Mexico, with a lackluster win against Saudi Arabia, advanced Saturday to the...

Costa Rica Court Moves to Lift President Chaves’ Immunity

Costa Rica’s Supreme Court of Justice on Tuesday asked Congress — for the first time in the history of this country with a well-established...

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...

Chiquita Brands Leaves Panama Amid Protests, Talks Underway to Resume

Laid-off workers from the U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands said on Monday that they are hoping for the company’s return to Panama, after it...

Costa Rica Stars in Variety’s Top Ten Film Locations

Variety Magazine named our small piece of paradise a top filming destination in its latest featured article, “Ten Locations to Die For,” spotlighting our...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica