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| Kercher murder trial shown knife | Kercher murder trial shown knife |
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| A court in Italy has been shown a knife prosecutors say could have been used to kill British student Meredith Kercher. | A court in Italy has been shown a knife prosecutors say could have been used to kill British student Meredith Kercher. |
| The knife - wrapped in plastic - was shown to the eight-member jury in the murder trial of Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. | The knife - wrapped in plastic - was shown to the eight-member jury in the murder trial of Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. |
| The pair watched as it was brought into the courtroom in a white box as part of the testimony of a forensic expert. | The pair watched as it was brought into the courtroom in a white box as part of the testimony of a forensic expert. |
| Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito deny killing the 21-year-old exchange student from London in Perugia in 2007. | Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito deny killing the 21-year-old exchange student from London in Perugia in 2007. |
| Prosecutors allege the knife found at Mr Sollecito's house had Ms Kercher's DNA on the 6.5in (16.5cm) blade and Ms Knox's on the handle. | |
| But defence lawyers rejected the claim, saying the knife was too big to match Ms Kercher's wounds and the amount of DNA too small to be accurately attributable. | |
| 'No match' | |
| Forensic expert Mariano Cingolani, one of three called by Mr Sollecito's defence team, questioned the "compatibility" of the knife with a wound to Ms Kercher's neck. | |
| If the knife in court was used in the attack, one of three wounds to the victim's neck would have been bigger, given its depth, he told the court. | |
| But he also said no firm conclusion could be drawn without knowing the position of Ms Kercher's neck during the stabbing or the elasticity of her tissues. | |
| Bruises on her neck suggested she might have been strangled and may have choked on her own blood, he added. | |
| Mr Cingolani was appointed by a Perugia judge before indictments for the two defendants were handed down. | |
| On Friday, forensic expert Francesco Vinci told the court that key forensic evidence had been wrongly linked to one of the defendants. | On Friday, forensic expert Francesco Vinci told the court that key forensic evidence had been wrongly linked to one of the defendants. |
| A bloody footprint at the crime scene had been attributed to Mr Sollecito, but defence witness Mr Vinci said the print was the wrong size. | A bloody footprint at the crime scene had been attributed to Mr Sollecito, but defence witness Mr Vinci said the print was the wrong size. |
| He compared pictures of a footprint on a bathroom rug at the house where Ms Kercher was found with images of Mr Sollecito's feet and told the court they "absolutely don't match". | He compared pictures of a footprint on a bathroom rug at the house where Ms Kercher was found with images of Mr Sollecito's feet and told the court they "absolutely don't match". |
| Ms Kercher, who was studying at Leeds University, was found with her throat cut in a house which she and Ms Knox shared. | Ms Kercher, who was studying at Leeds University, was found with her throat cut in a house which she and Ms Knox shared. |
| Prosecutors say she was killed during what had begun as a sex game. | Prosecutors say she was killed during what had begun as a sex game. |
| A third person, Rudy Guede, has been jailed for 30 years for the killing. He has denied wrongdoing and is appealing against his conviction. The trial continues. | |