Knox and Kercher 'got on great'

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The mother of Amanda Knox has told an Italian court her daughter and murdered Meredith Kercher "got along great".

Edda Mellas said there was no trouble between the American student and her housemate in Italy, Ms Kercher.

Previously the court heard there were problems over Ms Knox's bathroom habits and apparent promiscuity.

Ms Knox and her then boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito deny killing Ms Kercher, 21, of south London, who was stabbed to death in Perugia in November 2007.

Pocket knives

Ms Knox's mother told an eight-strong jury: "They got along great. She told me about the fun things she and Meredith did."

She said after Ms Kercher's body was discovered, her daughter "was very upset, it was disturbing".

But she added Ms Knox insisted on staying in Italy to help the authorities and continue her studies.

Mr Sollecito's father Francesco told the court his son was never violent and "wouldn't hurt a fly".

He said his son liked to carry "small knives" in his pockets, which was a habit he had had since he was young.

Leeds University student Ms Kercher's body was discovered with her throat cut in a bedroom at the house she shared with Ms Knox in the Umbrian university city of Perugia.

A third person accused of Ms Kercher's murder, Ivory Coast national Rudy Guede, has been jailed for 30 years for the killing.