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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Kercher accused 'under pressure' | Kercher accused 'under pressure' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A woman accused of killing UK exchange student Meredith Kercher has told her Italian trial she felt "under pressure" from police to name a suspect. | A woman accused of killing UK exchange student Meredith Kercher has told her Italian trial she felt "under pressure" from police to name a suspect. |
| American Amanda Knox, 21, said she had wrongly implicated an innocent ex-bar owner because she was confused. | |
| She said she was at the home of her co-accused ex-boyfriend, Italian Raffaele Sollecito, 24, who also denies murder, when her flatmate was stabbed to death. | |
| Ms Kercher, 21, of south London, was found stabbed to death in 2007. | |
| Throat cut | Throat cut |
| Giving evidence for the first time, Ms Knox explained why she had originally pointed the finger of blame at Patrick Lumumba. | |
| The [police] declarations were taken against my will Defendant Amanda Knox | |
| "Everything [I] said was said in confusion and under pressure," she told the packed courtroom. "They [the officers questioning me] were suggesting Patrick Lumumba so the first thing I said was 'OK, Patrick'." | |
| She told the court that before she named Mr Lumumba, officers had accused her of trying to protect someone. | She told the court that before she named Mr Lumumba, officers had accused her of trying to protect someone. |
| "When I denied that, they called me a stupid liar," she said. | "When I denied that, they called me a stupid liar," she said. |
| Ms Kercher, a Leeds University student, had been studying and living in the Umbrian university city of Perugia when she was killed on 1 November one-and-a-half years ago. | Ms Kercher, a Leeds University student, had been studying and living in the Umbrian university city of Perugia when she was killed on 1 November one-and-a-half years ago. |
| She shared a house with Ms Knox, who was on a student exchange from Seattle's University of Washington. | She shared a house with Ms Knox, who was on a student exchange from Seattle's University of Washington. |
| Meredith Kercher was found dead two months into her studies in Italy | |
| Ms Kercher's body was discovered in the bedroom of the house on 2 November. Her throat had been cut. | Ms Kercher's body was discovered in the bedroom of the house on 2 November. Her throat had been cut. |
| In court, Mr Lumumba's lawyer, Carlo Pacelli, asked Ms Knox why she had implicated his client. | In court, Mr Lumumba's lawyer, Carlo Pacelli, asked Ms Knox why she had implicated his client. |
| "They told me try to remember what I apparently, according to them, had forgotten," she said. | "They told me try to remember what I apparently, according to them, had forgotten," she said. |
| "Under the amount of pressure of everyone yelling at me and having them tell me they were going to put me in prison for protecting someone that I wasn't protecting, that I couldn't remember. | "Under the amount of pressure of everyone yelling at me and having them tell me they were going to put me in prison for protecting someone that I wasn't protecting, that I couldn't remember. |
| "I couldn't understand why they were so sure that I was the one who knew everything and so in my confusion I started to imagine that maybe I was traumatised, like what they said. | "I couldn't understand why they were so sure that I was the one who knew everything and so in my confusion I started to imagine that maybe I was traumatised, like what they said. |
| "The declarations were taken against my will." | "The declarations were taken against my will." |
| She went on to tell the court that Mr Lumumba, who employed her as a barmaid, had sent her a text message telling her not to go to work the night before Ms Kercher's body was found. | She went on to tell the court that Mr Lumumba, who employed her as a barmaid, had sent her a text message telling her not to go to work the night before Ms Kercher's body was found. |
| 'Doing homework' | 'Doing homework' |
| Consequently, she had spent the evening at Mr Sollecito's apartment, she said, and was surprised when police wanted to question her about the murder. | Consequently, she had spent the evening at Mr Sollecito's apartment, she said, and was surprised when police wanted to question her about the murder. |
| "I was sitting on my own doing my homework when a couple of police officers came and sat with me," she told the court. | "I was sitting on my own doing my homework when a couple of police officers came and sat with me," she told the court. |
| "They began to ask me the same questions they'd been asking me all those days ever since it happened. | "They began to ask me the same questions they'd been asking me all those days ever since it happened. |
| "For instance, who could I imagine could be the person who had killed Meredith, and I said I still didn't know." | "For instance, who could I imagine could be the person who had killed Meredith, and I said I still didn't know." |
| A third person, Rudy Guede, has been jailed for 30 years for the killing. | A third person, Rudy Guede, has been jailed for 30 years for the killing. |