Bertrand Cantat
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Bertrand Cantat (born in Pau, France, March 5th 1964) is a French singer and songwriter and leader of the now-defunct rock band Noir Désir. He is currently serving a prison sentence for manslaughter.
At the helm of his band, he became one of the most prominent figures of French music in the 90s. His left leaning political views saw him take position against globalisation, urban desertification in Bordeaux and the US-led invasion of Iraq.
In July 2003 in a hotel in Vilnius, Lithuania, while rowing with his girlfriend Marie Trintignant, he punched her repeatedly, which resulted in her falling into a coma and eventually dying few days later. This death caused considerable emotion in France. Nadine Trintignant, Marie's mother, actively sought a heavy sentence; Cantat's friends claimed he had been out of his mind and had not intended to cause real harm. He was sentenced in 2004 to 8 years in prison for manslaughter. The verdict was at first appealed by Marie's family, then by Bertrand Cantat, but both parties ultimately decided to cancel their appeals, which rendered the first 8 years judgment final.