Dad who threw toddler off bridge gets 30 years

An Italian man who killed his 16-month-old son by throwing him off a bridge in Rome after a custody row with his partner was sentenced to 30 years in jail on Tuesday, Italian media reported.

Patrizio Franceschelli, 26, threw his son Claudio into the freezing waters of the Tiber river in February after arguing with the boy's mother. The toddler's body was found over a month later after it washed up on the shore miles (kilometres) downstream.

"This is a great victory. The judge acknowledged that the accused was driven by vile and cruel motives," the lawyer for the boy's mother, Germano Paolini, said following the verdict, which was cheered by supporters outside the court.

Franceschelli, who is unemployed and has a criminal record for drug dealing, was not present in court. He had been seen throwing his son into the river by a passing prison officer and had tried to flee but was quickly caught by police.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.