A Monaco court sentenced a 24-year-old Finnish man to five years in prison on Tuesday 16th December for causing a fatal crash that killed two International University of Monaco students two years ago to the day. Mirco P. was convicted of involuntary manslaughter (homicide involontaire) and involuntary causing of injuries (blessures involontaires).
The sentence came exactly two years after the accident in the Millennium Tunnel at the exit of the Principality, which claimed the lives of Dilara Akhundova, 19, from Azerbaijan, and Ayana, 19, from Kazakhstan, whilst seriously injuring two other passengers.
The incident
On 17th December 2023 at around 4:30am, Mirco P. was driving his Audi RS4 with four classmates as passengers after leaving the Twiga nightclub. The group was headed to an after-party in Cap-d’Ail.
According to France 3, the driver displayed a blood alcohol level of 1.87 grams per litre. Expert analysis determined the vehicle struck the tunnel wall at 107 kilometres per hour, with some estimates placing the speed at 110 km/h as the driver accelerated approaching the Millennium Tunnel.
France 3 reports that Mirco P. had disabled the front seatbelt, where Dilara was seated. She died at the scene. Ayana succumbed to her injuries several days later.
Sentencing and victim impact
According to Monaco Matin, the sentence fell below Attorney General Mathias Marchand’s request for six years — the maximum penalty.
France 3 reports that Vugar Akhundov, Dilara’s father, was relieved at the verdict after two years of seeking justice. “Today, we are here to ensure that Monaco is not only a beautiful place, but also a place where the law is respected,” he told France 3.
Akhundov said that he had seen Mirco P. multiple times in Monaco over the two years. “It was extremely painful to see that he was living as if nothing had happened,” he said.
According to France 3, the defendant never contacted the victims’ families throughout the proceedings. “He didn’t even try to approach us to offer condolences, apologies… Nothing. We received nothing,” Akhundov said. The defence attorney noted during the hearing that his client had sent a letter to the victims’ families during the investigation, Monaco Matin reports.
Court proceedings
Monaco Matin reports that whilst the defendant expressed remorse at the hearing, he made several clumsy statements. “I know that I have the greatest share of responsibility but everyone, that evening, made the decision on their own to get into the vehicle,” he initially said, to the amazement of those present.
When given the final word, the young man changed his statement, according to Monaco Matin. “I am 100% responsible for everything. I want everyone to know how sorry I am,” he concluded.
Family members delivered poignant testimony during the hearing. France 3 reports that Ayana’s grandmother, a native of Kazakhstan, stated: “For me, he’s a killer. In the hands of this person, his steering wheel was a weapon.”
Vugar Akhundov told the media: “Human life had no value for him. I would like to tell him: you continue your life as if nothing happened, but you stopped those of two other people. What do you think about that? Is that acceptable to you? Can you live with that on your conscience for the rest of your days?”
Additional penalties
Mirco P. is also banned from driving in the Principality for five years. The question of compensation for the civil parties has been postponed to 30th January 2026.
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Photo by Monaco Life