Roma supporter Filippo Lombardi given three years in prison but found not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to Liverpool fan Sean Cox

The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of violent disorder but denied assault

Roma supporter Filippo Lombardi has been found not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to Liverpool fan Sean Cox during an attack that occurred prior to a Champions League semi-final clash between the clubs in April, but has been sentenced to three years in prison for violent disorder.

Mr Lombardi had pleaded guilty to the lesser charge but denied the accusation that he participated in the assault outside Anfield on 24 April that has left Mr Cox, a 53-year-old father of three from Co Meath in Republic of Ireland, unable to sit up or speak unaided.

A jury of six men and six women took almost nine hours of deliberation at Preston Crown Court to reach a majority not guilty verdict on the charge of GBH, but in sentencing Mr Lombardi the presiding judge said he did not accept the defence's claim that the 21-year-old was not there to cause trouble.

The prosecution claimed that Mr Lombardi and another man, referred to in court as N40, acted together and were jointly responsible for the injuries sustained by Mr Cox, alleging that N40 threw a punch which hit the Liverpool fan and Mr Lombardi swung a belt at him as he fell.

Mr Cox spent five weeks at a specialist neurological centre in Liverpool following the attack, and is receiving ongoing treatment in Republic of Ireland.

Liverpool beat Roma 5-2 in the first leg at Anfield and 7-6 on aggregate to reach the Champions League final, with the team holding up a banner in tribute to Mr Cox as they celebrated their victory on the Stadio Olympico pitch at full-time.

Summing up the case, Recorder of Preston Judge Mark Brown said: "Football has been described as the beautiful game but the terrible events that took place outside Anfield stadium when Sean Cox was assaulted, and suffered catastrophic injuries, surely have blighted its reputation."

He told Lombardi: "There is no doubt in my mind that your purpose was to cause a violent clash with the Liverpool fans... demonstrated vividly in film footage.

"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 judgement, nonsense.