Italian prosecutors are seeking a 26-year prison sentence for Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia when it capsized in Italian waters in January 2012, killing 32 people.
Schettino has been fighting charges of causing a shipwreck, manslaughter and abandoning ship for three years. In a previous court appearance, he admitted he sailed the ship close to the island of Giglio as a salute to a former captain and for the enjoyment of passengers.
He also did not follow maritime tradition to go down with the ship and either slipped or jumped into a lifeboat, depending on whose testimony you believe.
The news service Reuters reported that the prosecutor asked Schettino to be jailed if he is convicted, rather than remaining free until an appeal can be heard, as is often done in Italy. He has been under house arrest in his hometown near Naples during the trial, which is expected to resume Feb. 9, according to an Associated Press story.
Prosecutor Maria Navarro accused Schettino of saving his own life "without even getting his shoes wet," the AP article said.
But Schettino said "I won't run away" from the justice system through his lawyers, according to Gazzetta del Sud, an English-language newsite in Italy.
In past appearances in court, Schettino has also said he saved lives by steering the sinking ship closer to Giglio instead of into deeper waters. He also said a helmsman did not understand one of his orders.
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