A Milan appeals court on Thursday
acquitted a trattoria owner who killed a 28-year-old Romanian
burglar after a fight with thieves in 2017, upholding a January
2020 first-instance verdict in Lodi.
Mario Cattaneo, 73, from Casaletto Lodigiano, had been
charged with culpable excess in self-defence.
Prosecutors had requested a three-year jail term in the
'cause celebre'.
Cattaneo said on the night of the shooting he went down into
his courtyard, carrying his hunting rifle to protect himself and
his family and without the intention of opening fire.
The gun went off during a struggle with the thieves, he said.
Traces of blood were found on the fence of the restaurant and
bar where the Romanian burglar was shot dead.
Police established that the blood belonged to the burglar,
28-year-old Petru Ungureanu.
Ungureanu's body was found about 100 yards from the fence.
An autopsy showed he died from a single gunshot to the back.
Police said they thought the shot had come from very
close, appearing to support restaurant owner Cattaneo's
contention it went off during a struggle.
One witness, a neighbour, reportedly said he heard two shots
but this was not confirmed.
An original possible murder charge against Cattaneo after the
March 25, 2017 incident spurred the rightwing populist League
party to hold a rally in Verona to urge parliament to speed
passage of a bill expanding the right to self defence against
criminals.
Subsequently, when he was interior minister in a later
government, League leader Matteo Salvini shepherded a bill
establishing rules similar to US stand your ground laws to make
excessive self-defence prosecutions harder.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
