Brit skier, 31, killed Italian ex-mayor after crashing into him whereas driving ‘carelessly’ and ‘at excessive velocity’ on vacation in Allege, courtroom hears

A British man has appeared in courtroom accused of killing a former mayor by crashing into him throughout a snowboarding vacation.

Rhys Phillips, 31, is on trial charged with the manslaughter of Rizieri Ongaro, 77, who died two years in the past.

A conviction can carry a 5 12 months jail sentence, however the courtroom heard Phillips is unlikely to be despatched to jail as he has a clear document and was not drunk or beneath the affect of medicine and any sentence shall be suspended.

Prosecutors say he suffered deadly accidents after Philipps ‘carelessly skied into him at excessive velocity’ whereas on vacation in Allenge within the Italian Dolomites.

The courtroom in close by Belluno heard from a number of eye witnesses together with Enrico Lunardi, 37, who was on a chairlift on the time and noticed the affect.

Mr Lunardi: ‘It was all very fast and the person who was hit did not even have time to maneuver out of the way in which, he was hit violently and knocked off his ft.

‘He was coming down the mountain whereas the person was going through the valley, downhill, when he was hit at appreciable velocity.’

The trial was previous Mr Ongaro was an skilled skier, businessman and mayor of a village near the place the crash occurred.

On the time of the incident in March 2022, police had been shortly on the scene and recognized Philipps and his Danish girlfriend Marie Lardell.

Paramedics had been additionally known as and an air ambulance ferried Mr Ongaro to an area hospital, however he died within the helicopter from his accidents.

Mr Ongaro was president of the native ski membership and he died simply three days earlier than his 78th birthday.

On the time Mr Philipps – who’s a eager skier and journey blogger – informed police he ‘hadn’t seen’ Mr Ongaro and that he ‘simply appeared’ in entrance of him.

Through the listening to, Antonio Prade and Massimo Montino, attorneys representing the household of Mr Ongaro confirmed pictures from Philipps social media of the deadly journey.

They stated it confirmed him snowboarding in a ‘harmful method’ with ‘no concern for the security of others’.

Mr Prade added: ‘You may see the accused’s propensity to take pointless dangers from the photographs and movies on his ski journey that he posted on social media.’

Mr Philipps, who’s initially from Aldershot, however now lives in Copenhagen along with his girlfriend, has insisted by means of his attorneys the incident was an accident.

Chatting with MailOnline, Phillips’ attorneys Ernesto Caracciolo and Aldo Bissi stated their shopper denied any wrongdoing and pressured it was merely a tragic accident.

‘We might have plea bargained however that might have concerned an act of contrition which might have remained like a stain on him for his life and he would not need that.

‘We’ve a number of witnesses who can again up our model of occasions and we sit up for presenting this in courtroom.’

If convicted Philipps is unlikely to spend any time behind bars as he has a clear document and was not drunk or beneath the affect of medicine and any sentence shall be suspended.

The listening to was adjourned till later this 12 months when Phillips will give proof.