A French court on Thursday handed former president Nicolas Sarkozy a one-year sentence for illegal financing of his 2012 re-election bid, dealing a fresh blow to the right-winger six months after he received a jail term for corruption.
Sarkozy, 66, will not serve time behind bars under the terms of Thursday’s verdict, with the court ruling that he would be able to serve the sentence outside of prison.
He was not in court to hear the judge hand down the maximum sentence for illegal campaign financing after finding that he had “voluntarily neglected” to monitor his campaign spending.
Sarkozy’s lawyer Thierry Herzog said he would appeal the verdict.
The verdict — which as in the first trial means he will likely serve the term at home with an ankle bracelet if confirmed on appeal — is not the same as a suspended sentence and goes down in his record as a full prison term.
Sarkozy spent nearly twice the legal limit of 22.5 million euros on his failed bid for a second term in office.
The case is one of several arising out of a string of investigations into Sarkozy’s affairs since he lost his presidential immunity