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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/oct/18/roma-fan-filippo-lomdardi-cleared-of-inflicting-gbh-on-liverpool-supporter-mark-cox
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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Roma fan cleared of inflicting GBH on Liverpool supporter | Roma fan cleared of inflicting GBH on Liverpool supporter |
| (5 days later) | |
| A Roma fan has been cleared of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a Liverpool supporter but has been jailed for three years for violent disorder. | A Roma fan has been cleared of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a Liverpool supporter but has been jailed for three years for violent disorder. |
| Filippo Lombardi, 21, from Rome, was found not guilty at Preston crown court on Thursday of assaulting Sean Cox, who suffered “catastrophic injuries” in an incident on Walton Breck Road before a Champions League semi-final in April. | Filippo Lombardi, 21, from Rome, was found not guilty at Preston crown court on Thursday of assaulting Sean Cox, who suffered “catastrophic injuries” in an incident on Walton Breck Road before a Champions League semi-final in April. |
| The jury of six men and six women took just under nine hours to reach a verdict. | The jury of six men and six women took just under nine hours to reach a verdict. |
| Lombardi, who had an Italian interpreter with him in the dock but gave most of his evidence in English, admitted a charge of violent disorder before the trial. | Lombardi, who had an Italian interpreter with him in the dock but gave most of his evidence in English, admitted a charge of violent disorder before the trial. |
| He was one of a group of about 30 Roma supporters who made their way down Venmore Street on to Walton Breck Road outside Anfield just after 7pm on 24 April. Lombardi was seen in footage swinging a belt as another man, referred to as N40, punched Cox, who fell to the ground. | He was one of a group of about 30 Roma supporters who made their way down Venmore Street on to Walton Breck Road outside Anfield just after 7pm on 24 April. Lombardi was seen in footage swinging a belt as another man, referred to as N40, punched Cox, who fell to the ground. |
| The judge Mark Brown said Lombardi’s sentence would have been considerably longer if he had been convicted of the attack on Cox. | The judge Mark Brown said Lombardi’s sentence would have been considerably longer if he had been convicted of the attack on Cox. |
| “Nonetheless, it is a feature of the case that during the violent disorder he [Cox] was severely injured and that cannot be ignored,” he said. “The violent disorder did not end with the attack on him because as he was lying unconscious on the ground it carried on regardless near to him and you, as is clear from the footage, were in the thick of it.” | “Nonetheless, it is a feature of the case that during the violent disorder he [Cox] was severely injured and that cannot be ignored,” he said. “The violent disorder did not end with the attack on him because as he was lying unconscious on the ground it carried on regardless near to him and you, as is clear from the footage, were in the thick of it.” |
| The court heard that Cox, from Dunboyne, Co Meath, in Ireland, sustained a severe traumatic brain injury in the attack and was still being treated in a rehabilitation centre. | The court heard that Cox, from Dunboyne, Co Meath, in Ireland, sustained a severe traumatic brain injury in the attack and was still being treated in a rehabilitation centre. |
| Alison Gurden, defending, said Lombardi was of previously good character and had played as a goalkeeper in the AS Roma academy between the ages of 13 and 16. | Alison Gurden, defending, said Lombardi was of previously good character and had played as a goalkeeper in the AS Roma academy between the ages of 13 and 16. |
| “Mr Lombardi has a background of someone who, since he was a young man, has been very responsible and very hard-working,” she said. He had undergone a “huge maturity increase” during nearly six months in prison awaiting trial. | “Mr Lombardi has a background of someone who, since he was a young man, has been very responsible and very hard-working,” she said. He had undergone a “huge maturity increase” during nearly six months in prison awaiting trial. |
| Brown said he did not accept that Lombardi had not intended to cause trouble. “There is no doubt in my mind that your purpose was to cause a violent clash with the Liverpool fans and that’s demonstrated vividly in film footage,” he said. | Brown said he did not accept that Lombardi had not intended to cause trouble. “There is no doubt in my mind that your purpose was to cause a violent clash with the Liverpool fans and that’s demonstrated vividly in film footage,” he said. |
| “The footage shows that you had an active role and your assertion in evidence and in your basis of plea that you were just looking for signs for away supporter sections and were suddenly confronted by Liverpool fans is, in my judgment, nonsense.” | “The footage shows that you had an active role and your assertion in evidence and in your basis of plea that you were just looking for signs for away supporter sections and were suddenly confronted by Liverpool fans is, in my judgment, nonsense.” |
| He said footage showed Lombardi using his belt as a whip. “Your actions and those of the other Roma supporters in the group are likely to have scarred the good name of football. In my judgment, you have brought disgrace on AS Roma supporters. | He said footage showed Lombardi using his belt as a whip. “Your actions and those of the other Roma supporters in the group are likely to have scarred the good name of football. In my judgment, you have brought disgrace on AS Roma supporters. |
| “The game will probably be remembered not because of the football skill on the field or the result, but because of the awful tragedy Mr Cox endured and the violent disorder that took place outside the ground.” | “The game will probably be remembered not because of the football skill on the field or the result, but because of the awful tragedy Mr Cox endured and the violent disorder that took place outside the ground.” |
| The court heard that another man had been arrested in Rome in connection with the attack and was awaiting extradition. | The court heard that another man had been arrested in Rome in connection with the attack and was awaiting extradition. |
| Brown praised Cox’s family, including his wife, Martina, who was in court for much of the trial. He said they had acted with the “greatest of dignity and respect”. | Brown praised Cox’s family, including his wife, Martina, who was in court for much of the trial. He said they had acted with the “greatest of dignity and respect”. |
| There was no visible reaction from the public gallery, where three members of Lombardi’s family were also sitting, when the verdict was announced. | There was no visible reaction from the public gallery, where three members of Lombardi’s family were also sitting, when the verdict was announced. |
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