Italian man who ditched his 'illegal' worker on the side of the road with his severed arm in a box after a farm accident is jailed for 16 years

By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 22:15, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 22:16, 8 July 2026 An Italian man who left an injured 'illegal' Indian worker to die on the side of a road with his severed arm in a box following a farm incident has been jailed for 16 years.  In June 2024, Satnam Singh, a 31-year-old undocumented worker, had his arm torn off and legs crushed by a machine in the town of Borgo Santa Maria. But instead of taking him to the hospital, his employer, Antonello Lovato, abandoned him and his wife on the side of a road, with the severed limb in a box, according to the unions supporting the victim's widow. Singh succumbed to his injuries two days later at the San Camillo di Roma hospital.  At the opening of the trial in 2025, Lovato claimed to have 'lost his head' when he saw Singh bleeding out. He added: 'I wasn’t myself. I didn’t want him to die.' Prosecutors had asked for a 22-year prison sentence for the 39-year-old farmer, who was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter with eventual intent.  The drama received wide media coverage in Italy and sparked a debate about work conditions for undocumented workers on the country's farms.  The announcement of the verdict was covered live on television. Satnam Singh, a 31-year-old undocumented worker, (pictured) had his arm torn off and legs crushed by a machine in the town of Borgo Santa Maria Antonello Lovato (pictured) abandoned the man and his wife on the side of a road, with the severed limb in a box Thousands of Indian farm workers had demonstrated in Latina, a rural area south of Rome, to demand justice and an end to 'slavery' in Italy. If Singh, who died of severe haemorrhaging, had been rescued quickly, 'he would very likely have been saved', the Latina public prosecutor's office said, citing the forensic report. Italian unions, upon the trial's commencement, denounced the country's farming industry's practice of employing illegal migrants who are often more vulnerable than most.  They decried the system of abuse and exploitation, known in Italy as 'caporalato.' Maurizio Landini, the secretary-general of the powerful CGIL trade union federation, said in 2025 at the start of the trial: 'As is the logic of exploitation known as "caporalato," which allows for people to be treated like merchandise, like parts of a machine that can be easily bought and sold for the lowest price.  'And I insist that it is this culture that needs to be changed.' Landini said that while Lovato's trial was important, more work was needed to change the practice of abuse: 'We think it is important to seek justice, above all to put in motion everything necessary to change the way of doing business so episodes like this can never be repeated.  'We don’t think this is an isolated case. It is a mistake to think this problem can be resolved with this trial.'