French rapper Koba LaD jailed after fatal car crash

French rapper Koba LaD was sentenced to six years in prison on Wednesday for aggravated manslaughter over a road accident that killed one of his friends. The 25-year-old, who has three platinum discs, was at the wheel of a luxury sports car when he crashed into a stationary truck at a petrol station. His stylist -- a close friend -- was a front-seat passenger and was killed, while the victim's girlfriend who was in the rear of the car was slightly injured. Koba LaD, whose real name is Marcel Junior Loutarila, has been in custody since the crash in September 2024. He admitted being "at fault, from beginning to end" and said the loss of one of his best friends was "hard to live with". Sentencing him, the court said the offence was aggravated by the excessive speed at which he was driving and the use of narcotics, as he tested positive for cannabis after the crash. He also had his driver's licence revoked and was banned from retaking his test for 10 years.

The rapper apologised to victim's family but their lawyer told the court he was "a public danger on the road". He has a string of previous convictions, including for a non-fatal road accident in the southern city of Marseille in 2020. His name also surfaced in relation to the escape of drug trafficker Mohamed Amra which left two prison officers dead in May 2024. Koba LaD was a childhood friend of Amra and was questioned over the case earlier this year. His lawyers dismissed the allegations, saying it was "simply based on nothing" and that a connection was made "because of his notoriety and solely on the grounds that he knows people involved in the case".