Jury took nine hours to find Filippo Lombardi not guilty

A 21-year-old Italian man has been found NOT guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to a Dunboyne man Sean Cox outside Anfield Stadium in Liverpool earlier this year.

Filippo Lombardi from Rome had pleaded not guilty to the attack on 53-year-old Sean Cox outside the stadium ahead of the Liverpool vs Roma Champions' League semi-final on 24th April last.

The prosecution case was that another man, referred to in court as N40, threw the punch that hit Mr Cox but Mr Lombardi swung a belt at him as he fell.

The prosecution said it was a joint attack in which both men acted together and were equally responsible for the injuries inflicted.

Mr Cox was catastrophically injured and the trial heard that he cannot speak and cannot sit up unaided.

He spent five weeks at a specialist neurological centre in Liverpool and is receiving ongoing treatment in Ireland.

The jury of six men and six women, which began its deliberations yesterday took almost nine hours to reach their majority decision.

Lombardi has pleaded guilty to a separate charge of violent disorder and has been jailed for three years for that charge.

He told the trial his behaviour on the day fell far short of what it should have been, but he said he did not assault Mr Cox.