The man had denied inflicting grievous bodily harm upon the father-of-three
A 21-year-old Italian AS Roma supporter has been found not guilty of assaulting Liverpool fan Sean Cox outside of Anfield prior to Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final with the Serie A side in April.
The trial began on Thursday of last week, and the jury had heard that another man was responsible for the punch which has left Mr. Cox with traumatic brain injuries so severe that he can not yet speak or sit up by himself.
According to a report by RTE, the prosecution claimed that Lombardi was partly responsible for the attack, having swung his belt at Mr. Cox as he fell to the ground. Lombardi denied this but did admit a separate charge of violent disorder.
The 53-year-old from Dunboyne, Meath was hospitalised by the attack and put into an induced coma due to the severity of the injuries sustained during the assault.
Sean Cox’s recovery has been slow, but promising. When he regained consciousness three months after the attack, messages of support came pouring in from Liverpool fans and supporters of all clubs.
He was also visited by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp while the club were in Ireland for a pre-season match.
Another man arrested in connection with the attack, Daniele Sciusco, was convicted for his role in the attack after admitting violent disorder and was sentenced to two years in prison.
