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Five guilty in Costa Concordia trial Five guilty in Costa Concordia trial
(35 minutes later)
An Italian court has convicted five men of manslaughter over last year's deadly Costa Concordia shipwreck off Italy. A court has convicted five people of manslaughter over the deadly 2012 Costa Concordia shipwreck off Italy.
The boat's helmsman, on-board hotel director, two naval officers and the head of the Italian cruise company's crisis unit will be sentenced later.The boat's helmsman, on-board hotel director, two naval officers and the head of the Italian cruise company's crisis unit will be sentenced later.
Thirty two people were killed when the Costa Crociere ship capsized off the island of Giglio in January 2012. Thirty-two people were killed when the Costa Crociere ship capsized off the island of Giglio in January 2012.
The trial of Captain Francesco Schettino has been adjourned after he requested electrical tests on the ship.The trial of Captain Francesco Schettino has been adjourned after he requested electrical tests on the ship.
After plea bargains, the defendants - Indonesian helmsman Jacob Rusli Bin, naval officers Ciro Ambrosio and Silvia Coronica, on-board hotel director Manrico Giampedroni and Roberto Ferrarini, director of the Italian cruise company's crisis unit - face jail sentences of between a year-and-a-half and just under three years. He is charged with multiple manslaughter for causing the shipwreck and abandoning the vessel with thousands still aboard. His case will resume on 23 September after Italy's summer holidays.
Scapegoat Schettino?
After entering plea bargains, the five defendants - Indonesian helmsman Jacob Rusli Bin, naval officers Ciro Ambrosio and Silvia Coronica, on-board hotel director Manrico Giampedroni and Roberto Ferrarini, director of the Italian cruise company's crisis unit - face jail sentences of between a year-and-a-half and two years and 10 months.
Capt Schettino's lawyers say he faces a maximum 20 years in jail if found guilty. He denies the charges and says that without his actions many more people would have died.
He is being tried in Grosseto, the city nearest the site of the wreck, and much of the case against him has already been disclosed in a report by court-appointed experts.
He has been accused of leaving the luxury liner before all those on board - 4,229 - had been evacuated and steering it too fast and too close to shore during a night-time, sail-past salute to people on the tiny island off Tuscany.
Capt Schettino has already accepted some degree of responsibility, asking for forgiveness in a television interview last year as he talked of those who died.
However, Capt Schettino maintains he managed to steer the stricken vessel closer to shore so it did not sink in deep water where hundreds might have drowned.
His lawyers say he is being made a scapegoat for what was simply an accident.
The vessel was holed by rocks just as many passengers were dining on the first night of their cruise. A disorganised evacuation followed as many of those on board panicked when the ship began to tilt to one side.
Costa Cruises, part of the American-based Carnival Corporation, agreed to pay a $1.3m (£860,000) fine in April to settle possible criminal charges.
Most passengers have already accepted compensation of about 11,000 euros ($14,200: £9,400) each, but remaining groups of survivors are holding out for more.
The Costa Concordia still lies partially submerged while salvage crews work to refloat it.