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Costa Concordia captain Schettino's jail sentence upheld | Costa Concordia captain Schettino's jail sentence upheld |
(35 minutes later) | |
An Italian appeals court has upheld the 16-year sentence given to the captain of the Costa Concordia which capsized in 2012 killing 32 people. | An Italian appeals court has upheld the 16-year sentence given to the captain of the Costa Concordia which capsized in 2012 killing 32 people. |
Francesco Schettino was sentenced last year after a court found him guilty of manslaughter; causing a maritime accident and abandoning ship. | Francesco Schettino was sentenced last year after a court found him guilty of manslaughter; causing a maritime accident and abandoning ship. |
He was seeking to overturn the conviction, while the prosecution wanted a longer prison term. | He was seeking to overturn the conviction, while the prosecution wanted a longer prison term. |
The cruise ship capsized after hitting rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio. | |
Schettino has not yet begun his sentence and has one final appeal to Italy's highest court. | Schettino has not yet begun his sentence and has one final appeal to Italy's highest court. |
He was not in the Florence court when the verdict was read out by the presiding judge on Tuesday evening, Italian media reported. | |
At the original trial, investigators had severely criticised his handling of the disaster, accusing him of bringing the cruise ship too close to shore when it struck the rocks. | |
More than 4,000 passengers and crew were forced into a chaotic evacuation. | |
Schettino said he had taken the ship so close to land for "commercial reasons" in a bid to please his passengers and those ashore. | |
He rejected rumours that he had wanted to impress his lover, Domnica Cemortan, who was with him at the helm. | |
Costa Crociere, the company that owned the ship, sidestepped potential criminal charges in 2013 by agreeing to pay a €1m ($1.1m; £769,000) fine. | |
Five other employees, including the helmsman, were given prison sentences ranging from 18 months to two years and 10 months in plea bargains concluded early in the investigation. |
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