News

Saturday April 3, 2004

Italian court clears way for Senna death retrial

ROME: Italy's highest court has cleared the way for the reopening of a manslaughter trial over the death of Formula One champion Ayrton Senna 10 years ago.

The court on Thursday published the reasons for its decision to annul the last verdict handed out in January 2003, ANSA news agency reported, ruling there had been “material errors”.

Under Italian law, a written explanation must be published before a date can be set for the new hearing.

Brazilian Senna, a three times world champion, died after crashing his Williams at Imola on May 1, 1994, during the San Marino Grand Prix.

Team boss Frank Williams, technical director Patrick Head and former chief designer Adrian Newey must now face a new appeals court, ANSA said.

Williams, Head and Newey, who is now at McLaren, were acquitted of manslaughter charges after a trial in Bologna in 1997 and that verdict was upheld by an appeals court in 1999. – Reuters

  • E-mail this story
  • Print this story
  • Bookmark and Share