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An Italian football fan has been found not guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Liverpool fan Sean Cox.

Filippo Lombardi, 21, was jailed for 3 years after admitting violent disorder ahead of Liverpool’s game in April at an earlier hearing.

Lombardi had been in custody since April, charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on the 53-year-old Irishman at last season's Champions League semi-final.

Sean Cox suffered life-changing brain injuries when he was felled by a punch on April 24.

(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

Lombardi was part of a group of 50 Roma fans who attended the Champions League clash and who walked from Lime Street Station to Anfield on the evening of the match.

He admitted wrapping his buckled belt around his hand "to protect himself" from Reds supporters who were starting to "get more aggressive" after Mr Cox had been punched and collapsed to the floor.

On Wednesday, as he summed 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."

The jury at Preston Crown Court was told another man, referred to as N40, was responsible for the punch that knocked Mr Cox to the ground, causing his injuries.

Lombardi, of Viale Antonio Ciamarra, Rome, has pleaded guilty to violent disorder but denied inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Cox, who suffered serious head injuries which left him unable to sit up straight by himself.