The British tourist who attracted outrage in Rome after being accused of carving his name into the Colosseum walls with a key is facing up to five years in prison and a €15,000 (£12,850) fine. The man – identified as Ivan Dimitrov, a 27-year-old fitness instructor and delivery driver resident in Bristol but originally from Bulgaria – was visiting Italy’s Eternal City with his girlfriend Hayley Bracey when he was filmed scratching “Ivan + Hayley 23” into the ancient stone walls of the 2,000-year-old amphitheatre. The venue, a protected Unesco World Heritage site, was constructed during the reigns of the emperors Vespasian and Titus in the first century AD. It attracted the Roman public to see spectacular gladiatorial bouts, historical reenactments and parades of exotic wild animals imported from Africa and the Middle East, including elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, lions, leopards, panthers and ostriches. The act of vandalism was caught on camera by another visitor, Californian Ryan Lutz, who was incensed by the incident and asked “Are you serious, man?”. He then uploaded the footage to YouTube under the title “A****** tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome”, where it promptly went viral. The Italian Carabinieri responded to the video and quickly identified Mr Dimitrov as their suspect, with Major Roberto Martina telling the media he had expressed “sincere remorse” for his actions when confronted. “He told us he was very upset by what he had done, and he kept apologising for it,” Major Martina told Mail Online. “I think he was worried about the consequences of any trial and we explained that he could be jailed for between two and five years and be fined up to €15,000,” he said. The major went on to say he believed the case would be reasonably straightforward to prosecute because of the video evidence. “He had contacted us after we secured his mobile telephone from hotel records and left a message for him to call us,” Major Martina said of the Carabineri’s investigation. “He was naturally worried about the legal implications, and these were all explained to him. “We didn’t ask him why he did it, that will be for a judge to hear, we just told him that he was a suspect and was part of the investigation.” The officer added that Ms Bracey “is not part of any complaint so is an innocent party as far as we are concerned”, adding: “Although technically, she could be seen as an accessory.” Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano thanked the police for identifying the suspect of the “uncivilised and absurd act committed at the Colosseum”. “It was an act that offended those around the world who appreciate the value of archaeology, monuments and history,” he said. “Now I hope justice will take its course by rigorously applying the laws.” This is not the first such incident at the Colosseum. A Russian tourist was given a suspended four-year jail sentence and fined €20,000 (£17,000) in 2014 for engraving a “K” on its walls. The following year, two American tourists were also cited for aggravated damage after they likewise carved their names into its stones. Read More British tourist who carved name into Colosseum begs for forgiveness Tourist accused of vandalising Colosseum in Rome could face trial and up to five years in prison Tourist who carved name into Rome’s Colosseum ‘is British fitness trainer’ What happened to the tourist accused of carving his name into Rome’s Colosseum? Tourist who carved name into Colosseum begs for forgiveness Tourist who carved name into Rome’s Colosseum ‘is British fitness trainer’

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When Donald Trump pleaded not guilty after being arrested and arraigned on Thursday for conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election, among those present in the courthouse was Aquilino Gonell. A US Capitol police officer, Mr Gonell resigned in December last year as he sought to continue recovering both “physically and mentally” from the trauma of the Jan 6 insurrection that occurred in 2021. “Our Democracy is worth fighting for,” the retired officer injured in the Capitol riot wrote on X (formerly Twitter) soon after the proceeding. “Not prosecuting is far riskier than having no consequences for the alleged power grab attempts. Justice and the rule of law must win for our democracy to survive,” he said of the former president who was indicted Monday on four charges as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the alleged conspiracy surrounding the events from 6 Jan Capitol riot. Describing the incident, he wrote, “[As] Capitol Police sergeant, I found myself defending everything I sacrificed, and our very own democracy when it was threatened by an all out assault by a mob.” “As an American, the events on January 6 were shocking,” he said. “I was attacked by more than 50 people (one way or another) that I know of. I have given testimony to the congressional committee, investigators, prosecutors and the court.” He had earlier last year, while providing testimony before Congress, compared the experience of being at the Capitol on that day to his experience in Iraq with the US Army. “On January 6, for the first time, I was more afraid working at the Capitol than during my entire Army deployment to Iraq,” he had said in prepared remarks. “In Iraq, we expected armed violence, because we were in a war zone. But nothing in my experience in the Army, or as a law enforcement officer, prepared me for what we confronted on Jan 6.” He told legislators how he was punched, pushed, kicked, shoved, sprayed with chemical irritants and “blinded with eye-damaging lasers” – injuries that required multiple surgeries and a six-month medical leave. In a poetic twist of fate, Mr Trump’s latest arraignment brought him to the exact same courthouse where hundreds of people have been tried, convicted and sentenced to terms in prison as long as 18 years for charges in connection with the Jan 6 insurrection. Mr Trump, the man Liz Cheney once credited with having “assembled” and “summoned” members of the mob, is now the latest defendant among them. Mr Gonell was present in court along with two other police officers – Daniel Hodges and Harry Dunn – who defended the Capitol that day. They watched the former president’s arraignment from inside the court. Taking stock of the location’s symbolism where Mr Trump was produced, Mr Gonell said: “The same court in which hundreds of rioters have been sentenced. It’s the same court former President Trump is being arraigned in today for his alleged involvement before, during, and after the siege.” Read More Live updates: Trump pleads not guilty at arraignment in 2020 election case Trump pleaded not guilty. The stakes couldn’t be higher Trump was told not to talk to witnesses in 2020 election conspiracy case. That could be a challenge. Trump appears to stumble over his name and age at arraignment Watch view of the Capitol on day Donald Trump scheduled to be arraigned Trump supporters falsely claim former president faces death penalty

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