Captain Francesco Schettino is accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship before all 4,200 passengers and crew were evacuated.
He had originally wanted to defend himself at a trial but when the five other defendants in the case all sought plea bargains, his defence team decided to change their strategy.
"We weren't planning on requesting a plea bargain. But when we saw the development in the hearing, we were practically obliged to do so," said Schettino’s lawyer Francesco Pepe.
http://news.sky.com/story/1090953/costa-concordia-schettino-refused-plea-deal
