Italian Supreme Court clears man convicted of contributiing to cyclists' death
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Marco Pantani at the 2001 Giro d'Italia.(Image credit: Sirotti)
The Pantani memorial(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Marco Pantani in the spring of 1997.(Image credit: Sirotti)
Marco Pantani in 1998.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Memorial Marco Pantani winner Elia Viviani (Liquigas - Doimo)(Image credit: Sirotti)
Fabio Carlino has been cleared of causing Marco Pantani's death. The Italian Supreme Court on Thursday reversed his conviction of unintentionally causing Pantani's death as a consequence of drug dealing.
According to the ANSA news agency, the Court cleared Carlino “because the facts did not constitute a crime.”
Pantani died in February 2004 from accidental cocaine overdose. Carlini is said to have sold him the drug.
According to the court's General Prosecutor, “the excessive attention given by the media to Pantani’s death pushed the judges to attribute to Carlino an excessive amount of responsibility.”
Carlino had been convicted in January 2008 and sentenced to four and half years in prison. He was also ordered to pay a fine and damages to the Pantani family.
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