The trial of an Italian man accused of attacking and seriously injuring an Irish man outside Anfield before a Liverpool match is due to stand trial today.
Sean Cox, from Dunboyne in Co Meath, suffered severe brain injuries when he was hit just minutes before a Champions League game last April.
The father-of-three has just begun an intense 12-week treatment plan in the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dun Laoghaire.
Roma fan Filippo Lombardi is charged with wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm on the 53-year-old married father of three.
It’s an offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The 21-year-old’s trial is due to get underway this morning, and it’s understood some of Mr Cox’s family members - including his wife Martina - have travelled to Preston to watch proceedings.
It’s expected to be a five-day trial.
