Overview
- The tribunal correctionnel d'Angers found all six defendants guilty of involuntary homicides and injuries linked to the July 14, 2022 display in Cholet.
- Mayor Gilles Bourdouleix and his security deputy Patrice Brault each received 18 months’ prison with suspension.
- The organising association’s vice-president was sentenced to 30 months, including an 8‑month term to be served under electronic monitoring, and was barred from organising events.
- The chief artificer was sentenced to three years in prison with two years suspended plus a €15,000 fine, and is prohibited from practicing as an artificer; the pyrotechnics firm HTP (now Féérie) was fined €100,000 and also barred from the profession.
- The court cited projectiles falling into the crowd, lack of a safety perimeter, and outdated or misused pyrotechnics; victims may appeal within ten days, and Cholet’s event‑organisation procedures are set for review.