It is a case that stirred the football world for many weeks. Former FC Nantes player, Emiliano Sala lost his life on a plane ride as he tried to connect France and his new team, located in Wales. A drama that took place on January 21, 2019 and since justice tries to find the culprits. A trial has opened on the Cardiff side and after several weeks, the main suspect in this sad case has just received his sentence.
David Henderson, 67, was the flight organizer in January 2019. It was he who called on David Ibbotson, the pilot who lost his life alongside Emiliano Sala. Found guilty of recklessness or negligence likely to have endangered a device on October 28, he has been waiting since his judgment and the sentence is heavy. For his involvement in this drama, the organizer of the flight was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Friday for hiring a pilot he knew was unqualified. A very heavy sentence for the one who is accused by the prosecutor of having acted mainly for financial reasons.
A pilot not competent to fly at night
While he was supposed to drive the plane himself, David Henderson, on vacation in Paris, had called in David Ibbotson. The problem was that the latter did not have a commercial pilot license. In addition, his qualification for this type of aircraft had expired and he was not competent to fly at night. Aggravating circumstances were added to this story, which was already very incriminating for the organizer of the flight. The owner of the plane, Fay Keely, had specifically asked the defendant not to call on David Ibbotson to drive his machine. Despite this warning, it was he who was in the cockpit at the time of the tragedy.
A very sad story which undoubtedly comes to know its outcome, even if for the moment, we do not yet know if David Henderson will appeal the decision of the court.