This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/7695294.stm
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Man convicted of Kercher murder | Man convicted of Kercher murder |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A 21-year-old man has been jailed for 30 years for murdering British exchange student Meredith Kercher in Italy. | A 21-year-old man has been jailed for 30 years for murdering British exchange student Meredith Kercher in Italy. |
| Rudy Hermann Guede, from the Ivory Coast, was found guilty after a trial behind closed doors. Her brother John said the verdict was "overwhelming". | |
| Miss Kercher, 21, from south London, was found dead at a house she shared in Perugia on 2 November last year. | |
| Judge Paolo Micheli also ruled that Raffaele Sollecito, 24, and Amanda Knox, 21, should face a murder trial. | Judge Paolo Micheli also ruled that Raffaele Sollecito, 24, and Amanda Knox, 21, should face a murder trial. |
| Leeds University student Miss Kercher, from Coulsdon, had been in the Umbrian town as part of her European Studies degree. | Leeds University student Miss Kercher, from Coulsdon, had been in the Umbrian town as part of her European Studies degree. |
| Prosecutors claimed she was killed as part of a bungled sex game involving Guede, her housemate Miss Knox, from Seattle, and the American's ex-boyfriend Mr Sollecito, from Bari, southern Italy. | Prosecutors claimed she was killed as part of a bungled sex game involving Guede, her housemate Miss Knox, from Seattle, and the American's ex-boyfriend Mr Sollecito, from Bari, southern Italy. |
| Lawyer Francesco Maresca, who represents Miss Kercher's family, spoke after Guede's conviction. | Lawyer Francesco Maresca, who represents Miss Kercher's family, spoke after Guede's conviction. |
| "We are very satisfied, even though this was a young man who faces a very heavy sentence," he said. | "We are very satisfied, even though this was a young man who faces a very heavy sentence," he said. |
| At a press conference, Miss Kercher's brother Lyle said he was "satisfied" with the verdict.Ivorian Rudy Guede had denied any wrongdoing. | |
| "You can't be pleased and you can't be unsatisfied either," he said. | |
| Her sister Stephanie said that it was a "difficult time of year for us now" and that there was a "lot of emotion at the moment" for Kercher family. | |
| Murder weapon | Murder weapon |
| Miss Kercher's partially-clothed body was found under a duvet in her bedroom, which had been locked from the inside. Her throat had been cut. | |
| Guede had opted for a fast-track trial, permissible under Italian law, because he feared the former lovers would form a pact to frame him. | |
| He had admitted to being in the house at the time of the murder but, like his co-defendants, denied any wrongdoing. | He had admitted to being in the house at the time of the murder but, like his co-defendants, denied any wrongdoing. |
| His lawyers claimed the murder weapon had been found at Mr Sollecito's house and had Miss Knox's DNA on the handle. | His lawyers claimed the murder weapon had been found at Mr Sollecito's house and had Miss Knox's DNA on the handle. |
| The Italian's lawyers have argued he could not have been at the murder scene because he was at home downloading a cartoon at the time. | The Italian's lawyers have argued he could not have been at the murder scene because he was at home downloading a cartoon at the time. |
| The BBC's Duncan Kennedy, in Perugia, said the trial of Mr Sollecito and Miss Knox would begin on 4 December. | |
| He said it was unclear at this stage whether they would remain in prison until then or be released under some form of house arrest. | |
| Our correspondent said Guede now planned to appeal against his sentence. |