domenico rancadore , who has lived in britain for more than 20 years , was given a seven-year sentence by an italian court in 1999 for being a member of the cosa nostra .
in february he lost his year-and-a-half battle against extradition and was told he must return to italy to serve his sentence .
but today it emerged that the 65-year-old 's case expired last october and his european arrest warrant is to be withdrawn that the case will still have to be heard by the italian supreme court .