A Genoa court sentenced a former executive of Italian motorway network Autostrade per l'Italia (ASPI) to 12 years in jail on Thursday for his role in a deadly bridge collapse that killed 43 people in 2018.
Judges found Giovanni Castellucci guilty of negligence related to the bridge collapse and vehicular homicide, but handed him a lower sentence than the 18 years behind bars sought by prosecutors.
Family members of the victims were in court Thursday as the sentences of defendants were quickly read, in a hearing that lasted less than 20 minutes.
The verdict ends a trial that lasted four years, which was largely focused on the lack of maintenance of the bridge that was inaugurated in 1967.
Most of the 57 defendants are executives and technicians from ASPI, which runs almost half of Italy's motorway network, as well as engineering company Spea that was charged with maintenance.
