Moment sean “Diddy” Combs learned his sentence in court

Three months ago, Sean “Diddy” Combs fell on his knees in a hearing room in Manhattan after a New York jury acquitted him accusations of sexual traffic and racketeering.

“I come home,” he said, turning to face his family, who supported him every day of the trial.

On Friday, a moderate version of the hip-hop magnate had remained without emotion and still on his chair, because the judge sentenced him to more than four years in prison.

After judge Arun Subramanian finished reading his sentence, the rapper turned to look at his family and seemed to the mouths of words: “I love you, I’m sorry.”

It was a calm moment to mark the end of a chaotic eight -week trial which has forever changed the image of the public of Combres – formerly one of the most famous rappers in the world. The jury has seen graphic videos of the so-called “Freak offs” of Combs-sex festivals that he had filmed with hired male escorts and his ex-Cassandra Ventura and “Jane”, an anonymous victim. They also saw a video, which had become viral before, to beat Ventura in a hallway of the hotel.

In July, a panel of 12 New Yorkers acquired in Combs, 55, of sexual traffic and racketeering accusations – which carried the potential of life to life – but found it guilty of transport to engage in prostitution.

His lawyers hoped that he would not be in prison in a few weeks, asking a 14 -month sentence in court, 13 of which he had already served.

Prosecutors had accused combs of leading a criminal business to force women in unwanted sexual acts and supplied by drugs. Although it was acquitted of these most serious accusations, sex trafficking and racketeering, they had asked for more than 11 years in prison.

In the end, judge Subramanian told Downcast Combs that his crimes and abuses of his ex-girlfriends were justified 50 months in prison.

As he told court that Combs had used his fame and power to “captivate” his victims, the music magnate did not look up, remaining without expression for the judge’s 20 -minute speech. His entourage of more than 30 family members was packed in the courtroom behind him.

During the hearing all day long, the court listened to hours of speeches from several of his lawyers, his children, a pastor and a defender of the reform of criminal justice who declared in court that Combs was a changed and sober man since detention.

They also watched a video compilation of his legal team showing him with his children as well as the funeral of his former girlfriend Kim Porter, the mother of some of her children who died in 2018.

But the court has not heard of the victims themselves, after a person who planned to speak, Mia, a former combination assistant who testified anonymously, withdrew after the defense wrote a letter qualifying it as a liar.

Subramanian called the “inappropriate” letter, and thanked the “strong women” for having presented the allegations against Combs, telling them that they did not speak to 12 men and women in the jury box “.

On Friday, instead of their own statements, Subramanian read several of the victims of the testimony, saying to Combs: “These are serious offenses that irreparably injured two women.”

Combs himself addressed the Court for the first time since the start of his trial.

Deleting a great sigh before standing to read his speech, he pleaded with the judge for “Mercy”.

He read with glasses of a piece of paper in front of him, trying to maintain visual contact with the judge saying to him: “I have no one to blame myself.”

He made tears by turning to face his family and said to his mother: “I failed you as a son.”

It was not the first time that tears were paid during the hearing.

Many supporters of Combs have shouted while six of his seven children came on the podium to ask for a slight sentence from the judge, telling him that they needed their father. The three daughters and three sons huddled with their arms wrapped each other while several of them shouted while speaking to the judge.

The judge declared during his conviction that he had taken into account the family ties of Combs, but said that he should also take into account the damage he had caused to his two victims.

The crimes were serious, he added, noting that they had taken place even after a federal investigation and the leak of a video showing him beating Ventura in the corridor of a hotel.

“A story of good works cannot eliminate your record,” he said.

But, he said to a dismayed combs, which tilted his head twice and sighed, there was light at the end of his prison sentence.

“Mr. Combs, you and your family, you will go through this,” he said.

When the judge finished delivering his speech, Combs made a quick head of the dozens of family members and friends, before retreating quietly by the door to be brought back to a federal prison in Brooklyn.