Rome - A Russian tourist who was caught vandalising a Colosseum wall with graffiti was fined 20 000 euros (about R250 000) and given a four-month suspended jail sentence, several Italian newspapers reported on Sunday.
The 42-year-old man was held by police on Friday and convicted in a fast-track trial a day later. He was given three months to pay the penalty.
His was the fourth case of reported vandalism on the monument by foreign tourists this year, but the first that led to a prosecution.
The man scribbled a large “K” - his initial - on a ground floor wall inside the premises of the Colosseum, which is Italy's most popular tourist attraction, with around 5 million visitors a year.
The 1st century structure, once used by Roman emperors to stage gladiator battles and lion fights, is in the midst of a 25-million-euro restoration project. - Sapa-dpa