John Lilley: Failed to take safety measures

The judge also added that it had been "...imprudent of Lilley to take the route he had, bearing in mind the wind and waves, and that he should have steered for the nearest shore instead of trying to sail back across the lake to where they had hired the boat from".

Signor Maddalo said that it was this action that had caused the boat to capsize and lead to the tragedy and he added that "..bearing in mind the above conduct it was also imprudent of Lilley not to ensure that those onboard had put on their lifejackets".

The motivations for the sentence were deposited at the court in Brescia, 70 days after the trial ended last December - as is normal under Italian law.

Lilley was found guilty of causing the deaths of headteacher Richard Harris, 50, and his two sons Timothy, 13 and Luke, six, from Renhold in Bedfordshire.

Ultimately responsible

One of the boat owners and four police officers on duty that day were also found guilty failing to carry out an adequate search and there sentences were also suspended.

The three month trial in the Italian city of Brescia followed the tragedy on picturesque Lake Garda where the Lilley and Harris families had met while on holiday in August 1998.

The court heard how Lilley had hired a boat and taken his two children and the Harris family out onto the normally tranquil lake for an afternoon on the water.

As he had used his British driving licence Lilley was deemed under Italian law to be the captain of the boat and therefore held ultimately responsible for the safety of those onboard.

Richard Harris: Lost with his two sons

The court had heard how shortly after the party had gone onto the lake a storm blew up and turned the lake into a wall of water with wave four metres high.

The party's boat was overturned and Mr Harris and his sons drowned.

The rest of the group, Lilley his two children and Mrs Catherine Harris spent more than 12 hours in the water before they were rescued the following morning.

At first Lilley was hailed a hero but then after a police investigation he was charged and he flew to Brescia to give evidence along with his wife and two children last October.

Lilley is expected to appeal.