(Bloomberg) -- Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino wasconvicted by an Italian court three years after the cruise linercapsized near the Tuscan coast, killing 32 people.

Schettino, who can appeal the verdict, was sentenced to 16 yearsfor criminal charges including manslaughter. He’s denied anywrongdoing, saying his actions during the disaster saved lives andprevented a worse catastrophe.

Prosecutors had requested a jail term of more than 26 years.

“God have pity on Schettino, because we cannot have any,”prosecutor Stefano Pizza said in his closing arguments last monthat the trial in the Tuscan city of Grosseto.

The Costa Concordia overturned and ran aground near the tinyisland of Giglio hours after leaving a port close to Rome with4,200 passengers and crew on Jan. 13, 2012 when Schettino steeredthe nearly 1,000-foot vessel too close to the rocks to perform acrowd-pleasing salute.

Schettino, 54, was dubbed “Captain Coward” in the Italian presswhen an audio recording emerged of a Coast Guard officialrepeatedly ordering him to return aboard and take command of theevacuation. His angry order to “Get back on board, damn it!” wentviral on Facebook and Twitter Inc. and later was printed onT-shirts.

--With assistance from Lorenzo Totaro in Rome.

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