This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

An Italian man has been charged with assaulting the Liverpool FC supporter Seán Cox before a Champions League match last year.

Cox, 53, from Dunboyne in Co Meath, Ireland, suffered catastrophic head injuries in an attack outside Anfield stadium before Liverpool’s semi-final first leg against AS Roma on 24 April. He is still recovering in hospital nine months later.

Merseyside police said Simone Mastrelli, 30, from Rome, had been extradited from Italy to England after being held on a European arrest warrant. He was charged with assault and violent disorder and was due to appear at South Sefton magistrates court on Friday.

In October another man from Rome, Filippo Lombardi, 21, was cleared of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Cox but found guilty of violent disorder and jailed for three years.

In August, Daniele Sciusco, 29, also from Rome, admitted violent disorder and was jailed for two and a half years.

Cox’s wife, Martina, said in December that her husband, a sales director, was recovering at the national rehabilitation hospital in Dún Laoghaire in Ireland.

“He no longer has a feeding tube so is starting to eat and drink again with the help of the wonderful nursing staff. Seán has some more words and is trying very hard to sing along to familiar songs; these are encouraging and proud steps for us all,” she said in a statement.

“This time last year we were an ordinary family looking forward to another new year and what that would bring. Seán or I never dreamt that 12 months on there would be websites or media interviews or fundraising events all brought about by what happened after Seán was attacked in Liverpool on 24 April.”

Hundreds of thousands of euros have been raised to help the Cox family. Liverpool are planning a special legends game at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 12 April in aid of the Support Seán appeal.