Brit skier, 31, killed Italian ex-mayor after crashing into him while riding ... trends now
A British man has appeared in court accused of killing a former mayor by crashing into him during a skiing holiday.
Rhys Phillips, 31, is on trial charged with the manslaughter of Rizieri Ongaro, 77, who died two years ago.
A conviction can carry a five year prison sentence, but the court heard Phillips is unlikely to be sent to jail as he has a clean record and was not drunk or under the influence of drugs and any sentence will be suspended.
Prosecutors say he suffered fatal injuries after Philipps 'carelessly skied into him at high speed' while on holiday in Allenge in the Italian Dolomites.
The court in nearby Belluno heard from several eye witnesses including Enrico Lunardi, 37, who was on a chairlift at the time and saw the impact.
Mr Lunardi: 'It was all very quick and the man who was hit didn't even have time to move out of the way, he was hit violently and knocked off his feet.
Rhys Phillips, 31, (pictured) faces a possible five-year jail sentence if convicted of the manslaughter of Rizieri Ongaro, 77, who died two years ago
Prosecutors say Mr Ongaro (pictured) suffered fatal injuries after Philipps 'carelessly skied into him at high speed' while on holiday in Allenge in the Italian Dolomites
At the time Mr Philipps – who is a keen skier and travel blogger – told police he 'hadn't seen' Mr Ongaro and that he 'just appeared' in front of him
'He was coming down the mountain while the man was facing the valley, downhill, when he was hit at considerable speed.'
The trial was old Mr Ongaro was an expert skier, businessman and mayor of a village close to where the crash happened.
At the time of the incident in March 2022, police were quickly on the scene and identified Philipps and his Danish girlfriend Marie Lardell.
