Roma fan cleared of inflicting GBH on Liverpool supporter Sean Cox before Champions League tie

Roma supporter Filippo Lombardi has been acquitted of inflicting GBH on a Liverpool fan before the Champions League semi-final.

But the student, 21, who was told he had "scarred the good name of football", has been jailed for three years for violent disorder.

Father-of-three Sean Cox, 53, suffered "catastrophic injuries" in the attack on Walton Breck Road outside Liverpool's home ground, Anfield, on 24 April.

The court heard another man, referred to in court as N40, threw the punch which knocked Mr Cox to the ground.

But Mr Lombardi swung a belt at him as he fell, using it "as a whip", according to Recorder of Preston Judge Mark Brown.

Prosecutors said that made it a joint attack in which both men acted together and were equally responsible.

The jury of six men and six women deliberated for almost nine hours before finding Lombardi, from Rome, not guilty.

Mr Cox, from Dunboyne, Co Meath, suffered a severe, traumatic brain injury, is unable to talk or sit up unaided and is still being treated in a rehabilitation centre.

About half a dozen members of Mr Cox's family, including his wife Martina, were in court for the verdict, as were three of Lombardi's relatives.

Sean Cox attended the game with his brother, Martin, who told the court he heard aggressive chanting from a group of people wearing dark clothes as they walked along Walton Breck Road shortly after 7pm.

He said: "I turned to Sean as if to say 'let's get out of here', or whatever, but as I turned Sean was lying on the ground."

Lombardi, from Rome, told the court he was lost when he arrived on Walton Breck Road, at around 7pm in a group of 20 to 30 Roma supporters.

He said the road was full of Liverpool fans and, sensing trouble, he wrapped his belt round his hand for fear he was walking into a "dangerous situation".

Lombardi said he had heard a man standing behind Martin Cox say something to him about a fight and had swung the belt at him to get him away.

Video of the student appearing to swing his belt in the direction of Mr Cox and the Irishman falling to the ground, was played to jurors.

Judge Brown, who dismissed Lombardi's claim to be acting in self-defence as "nonsense", said: "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.

"Your actions and those of the other Roma supporters in the group are likely to have scarred the good name of football," he added.

The court heard another man had been arrested in Rome in connection with the attack and was awaiting extradition.