Italian court hears evidence on murder weapon

A stab wound to the neck of a British student murdered in Italy was caused by a shorter knife than the one believed to be the…

A stab wound to the neck of a British student murdered in Italy was caused by a shorter knife than the one believed to be the murder weapon, a coroner told a court today.

Francesco Introna was giving evidence in the trial in Perugia of American student Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, accused of murdering Meredith Kercher (21) from Coulsdon, Surrey, in November 2007.

Both deny wrongdoing.

The Ansa news agency said Mr Introna testified that the cut on Miss Kercher's neck was made with a knife with a blade 3in to 3.5in (8cm-9cm) long.

Prosecutors say that a 6.5in (16.5cm) knife found at Sollecito's house matched the victim's wounds and could be the murder weapon.

Prosecutors allege that Miss Kercher was killed during what had begun as a sex game. Her body was found in the apartment she shared with Knox on November 2nd, 2007.

A third person, Rudy Hermann Guede, of the Ivory Coast, was convicted in a separate trial last year and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He denies wrongdoing and has appealed against his conviction.

Mr Introna said the bedroom where Miss Kercher was killed was too small and it would be "physically impossible" that three people could have attacked her, Ansa said.

AP