Meredith 'argued with Knox before death'
Meredith Kercher argued with housemate Amanda Knox shortly before her death, man convicted of her murder says
Also In The News
|
Jose Mourinho has given his strongest indication yet he wants to return to the Premier League with the words "England is my country... and my football is English football". |  |
Wednesday, 18, Nov 2009 05:00
By Matthew Champion.
Meredith Kercher argued about money with her housemate Amanda Knox shortly before her death, the man convicted of killing the UK student has told his own appeal hearing.
Rudy Hermann Guede received a 30-year prison sentence last year after opting for a fast-track trial over Ms Kercher's murder in Perugia, Italy, in November 2007.
The 22-year-old told an Italian court today that he had not raped or killed the 21-year-old but apologised for not doing enough to save her life.
Guede's appeal comes two days before the trial of two other people accused of murdering Ms Kercher resumes.
Amanda Knox, the 21-year-old's American room-mate, and Raffaele Sollecito, Ms Knox's former boyfriend, both deny any involvement in her death.
Ms Knox was found semi-naked with her throat slit in her Perugia flat on November 1st 2007. Prosecutors in that trial claim she died after a sex game went wrong.
But on Wednesday Guede said he heard Ms Kercher arguing with Ms Knox about money minutes before she died.
He admitted going to Ms Kercher's house after a Halloween party where they undressed and kissed but did not have sex.
The Ivorian said he heard shouting while in the toilet listening to his iPod. When he emerged he saw two people fleeing the dark house and Ms Kercher's body with her throat slit.
"I went into the corridor and looking out of the window saw going away the outline of Amanda Knox," he said.
"I didn't know what had happened, a few minutes earlier everything had been calm and then this had happened."
Guede was seen in a Perugia nightclub the night of Ms Kercher's murder and was arrested two weeks later in Germany after being caught travelling on a train without a ticket.
Today's appeal was, by Guede's own request, heard in open court and not behind closed doors as is typical.
Evidence from the appeal is inadmissible in Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito's trial but jurors and the judge will be aware of its details as no reporting restrictions have been imposed.