A ROMAN man who was responsible for killing two Irish tourists in a hit-and-run incident in the Italian capital on Tuesday morning has been sent to prison on "preventive detention".
Friedrich Vernarelli (32), who was formally charged with manslaughter, failure to offer assistance and drunken driving, will now await trial in Rome's Regina Coeli prison.
Elizabeth Anne Gubbins (27) and Mary Claire Collins ( 28) were killed in the hit and run at a pedestrian crossing in Rome city centre. Mr Vernarelli had been under house arrest since the incident on Tuesday morning.
Before yesterday's hearing, he had said he wanted "to pay for my crimes", while during the hearing, his lawyers indicated that he was willing to go to prison.
Quoting a medical report on Mr Vernarelli, presiding judge Luisanna Figliolia suggested that he might have been driving under the influence of "doping substances". When stopped by police, Mr Vernarelli refused to take a breathalyser test
During the hearing, Mr Vernarelli admitted to drinking on the night of the incident, thus confirming reports which claimed his alcohol level to be 4½ times above the legal limit.
Judge Figliolia also wanted to know why the defendant had had his driving licence suspended in April 2005. Mr Vernarelli seemed uncertain as to how this had happened, saying only that it was "probably" suspended for speeding offences.
After the hearing, Mr Vernarelli's father, Roberto, a politician and candidate for the right-wing party, La Destra, in forthcoming Rome local elections, said: "Friedrich had asked to go to prison and that's what we wanted. It is right that my son should be punished, without any ifs and buts. What has happened is far too serious. If it was up to me, I wouldn't arrest him, I'd give him 10 years' forced labour."
No date has yet been set for Mr Vernarelli's trial.
Members of both the Gubbins and Collins families travelled to Rome this week, but official procedures may mean that it could take 10 days before the bodies are released.
Ms Gubbins had begun a new job as a biochemist in a pharmaceutical company, GeneMedix, in Tullamore, Co Offaly. Ms Collins was also a science graduate.