Two Italian soccer fans lashed out at Seán, court told
THE brother of Liverpool supporter Seán Cox has told how he witnessed a mob of masked Italian football fans walking towards them waving their belts before a match, and when he next looked his brother was lying unconscious on the ground.
Preston Crown Court yesterday heard how footage pieced together from CCTV and mobile phones showed the accused, Roma fan Filippo Lombardi, 21, raising his belt as if to strike Liverpool supporter Seán Cox, before another man punched him.
Martin Cox is captured on footage standing over his brother as he lay on the floor following the attack and being kicked by one of the Italian fans, which caused him to fall over.
Mr Lombardi is alleged to have lashed out at Mr Cox as he fell to the ground during a joint attack ahead of a Champions League semi-final, a court has heard.
The Roma supporter is accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Seán Cox, 53, outside Anfield before the first leg of the game on April 24.
The court was told that a second man, referred to as N40, had been arrested in connection Charged: Filippo Lombardi with the attack in Rome and was awaiting extradition.
Mr Cox’s wife and other family members sat in the public gallery for the start of the trial along with about six members of Lombardi’s family.
Opening the trial, Neville Biddle, prosecuting, said: ‘Before the match, a Liverpool supporter Seán Cox, a middle-aged family man from Dublin, who was a lifelong Liverpool supporter and who had come to Liverpool with his older brother Martin, was assaulted and knocked unconscious and seriously injured.’
He added: ‘It’s the Crown’s case that two men were involved in the assault on Seán Cox – this defendant and another.
‘It was the other man that struck the blow that felled Seán Cox and rendered him unconscious. The Crown say this was a joint attack by the other man and the defendant, they were both acting together and therefore equally responsible for the injuries inflicted.’
Mr Biddle said Mr Lombardi and the man referred to as N40 were at the front of a group of about 50 fans who walked from Liverpool Lime Street station to the stadium ahead of the match.
He said: ‘Some of the group were taking their belts off and were holding them in a threatening manner.’
The court heard Mr Cox, from Dunboyne, Co. Meath, and his brother had been outside the Albert pub when they heard the group chanting and Martin Cox had gone to move away from them.
Mr Biddle said: ‘Even as he did, he turned to see Seán Cox lying motionless on the ground.’
He said footage pieced together from CCTV and mobile phones showed Mr Lombardi raising his belt as if to strike Mr Cox, before the other man punched him.
He added: ‘As he is falling to the ground, the defendant lashes out at him.
He said Mr Lombardi was identified on footage by Italian officers and arrested before leaving the match.
Alison Gurden, defending, said Mr Lombardi had admitted an offence of violent disorder and accepted his behaviour following the attack ‘went too far’.
She said: ‘There’s no dispute Mr Cox suffered catastrophic injuries and it’s clear that Mr Cox suffered those injuries due to the fact he was punched but Mr Lombardi would tell you he didn’t punch Mr Cox and he doesn’t accept he assaulted either Seán Cox or his brother Martin Cox.’
The trial is expected to last until next week.
‘Threatening manner’