On 30 October 2026, Monaco’s Criminal Court sentenced 44-year-old Monegasque taxi driver Nicolas S., who had worked as a taxi driver in the Principality for around 10 years, to eight months in prison.[1] On 28 October at around 5:45 a.m., Public Security Department officers found the 44-year-old Monegasque slumped over the steering wheel of his car near the Wurtemberg roundabout, close to the border with Cap-d’Ail.[1] He was found collapsed against the steering wheel, with the engine still running, and was taken into medical care.[2] Tests subsequently returned positive for drugs, although his condition meant he could not initially be questioned in police custody.[2] Appearing before Presiding Judge Florestan Bellinzona, the defendant admitted the offenses and repeatedly apologized.[1] Nicolas S. was therefore sentenced to eight months in prison, had his driver’s license canceled, was barred from obtaining a new one for one year, and had the seized items confiscated.[1] They also ordered that he be banned from working as a taxi driver for five years.[2]
Tests also revealed the presence of cannabis.[1] He then returned to Monaco, where he snorted the cocaine and took medication in excess of the prescribed doses, including anti-anxiety drugs and codeine-containing Dafalgan.[1] During searches of his vehicle and home, officers found what were described as CBD vape pens containing THC levels of 88%, along with 4.75 grams of cocaine, bags containing various medications, and several items classified as Category C weapons.[1] These included pepper spray, a butterfly knife and a realistic-looking pistol designed to discharge an irritant liquid.[2] His spending on drugs was estimated at nearly €1,000 a month, around a quarter of his salary.[1]
A road-safety law passed by the National Council at the end of 2025 introduced tougher penalties for transport professionals caught driving after consuming alcohol or drugs, with prison terms ranging from six months to three years.[1] Given the circumstances, his profession, and his criminal record, the duty prosecutor referred the case to the Criminal Court on October 29 for a hearing the following day.[1] He had been sentenced in France for serious speeding and drug-impaired driving in 2021 and 2022, while Monaco’s courts had handed him a two-month suspended sentence in October 2023 for drink-driving.[2] Mutiloa requested eight months in prison, with the arrest warrant to remain in effect, cancellation of his driver’s license, a one-year ban on obtaining a new one, and confiscation of the seized items.[1] Zampori argued for a suspended sentence combined with probation, which she said would allow him to get his life back on track and move forward.[1]
