The self-styled "king" of Italy's paparazzi, has been jailed

Fabrizio Corona, the self-styled "king" of Italy's paparazzi, has been jailed after being found guilty of a campaign of blackmail against celebrities.


By Nick Pisa in Rome
Published: 6:24PM GMT 10 Dec 2009
Fabrizio Corona, the self-styled 'king' of Italy's paparazzi, has been jailed after being found guilty of a campaign of blackmail against celebrities
Fabrizio Corona, the self-styled 'king' of Italy's paparazzi, has been jailed after being found guilty of a campaign of blackmail against celebrities Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Corona, 35, was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison after using what prosecutors said were "Mafia-style threats" to extract up to £35,000 a time in return for promising not to sell compromising photographs to the media.

A Milan court heard that his victims included Silvio Berlusconi's daughter, Barbara, 25, two Inter Milan footballers, actors and politicians.


The prosecutor, Frank Di Maio, had asked the court to jail Corona for seven years and two months.

Corona was cleared on one of the blackmail charges.

Speaking on Thursday, the paparazzi said: "The law is supposed to be equal for all - well for me it isn't. I will do my time - but with this decision I'm ashamed of being Italian."

Corona has also been sent for trial at Civitavecchia, north of Rome, after being arrested while trying to spend counterfeit euros at a bar in Fiumicino international airport.