(ANSA) - Rome, September 25 - The supreme Court of Cassation
on Tuesday confirmed an appeals court's 16 year term for former
Roma ultra Daniele De Santis for the murder of Napoli fan Ciro
Esposito ahead of the 2014 Italian Cup final between Napoli and
Fiorentina.
The supreme court rejected an appeal by De Santis arguing he
was innocent.
De Santis had his 26-year first-instance sentence cut to 16
years on appeal in June of last year.
The 10-year cut in the sentence was due, judges said, to an
acquittal from the crime of affray as well as the exclusion of
futile motives and repeat offences.
De Santis got the original 26-year sentence on March 24 2016.
Esposito died 53 days after De Santis shot him on May 3,
2014, in a Naples hospital.
De Santis had defended himself by saying he had responded to
an attack by Napoli fans.
Rome prosecutors had asked for a life sentence for De
Santis.
De Santis was a former member of a group of hardcore
'ultra' Roma fans and an extreme rightwing militant who has
admitted to pulling the trigger, but said he only did so as he
was being attacked with knives.
A medical report documented the fact that De Santis
suffered "cut wounds" in the clashes, Carabinieri police said in
2014.
De Santis was accused of manslaughter, bodily harm and
illegal possession of arms, among other things.
photo: De Santis in 1996
16 yrs for De Santis over Esposito
Appeal by former Roma ultra rejected