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| Verdict 'pleases' Kercher family | Verdict 'pleases' Kercher family |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| The family of murdered British student Meredith Kercher have said they are pleased with the conviction of her killers but there was "no celebration". | |
| American Amanda Knox, 22, was jailed for 26 years on Friday after being found guilty of Miss Kercher's murder and sexual violence. | American Amanda Knox, 22, was jailed for 26 years on Friday after being found guilty of Miss Kercher's murder and sexual violence. |
| Her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 25, was given 25 years. | Her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 25, was given 25 years. |
| Miss Kercher, 21, a Leeds University student from Surrey, was found with her throat slit in Perugia, Italy, in 2007. | |
| Know and Sollecito had denied killing her, but prosecutors said Sollecito held her down while Knox stabbed her to death in what began as a drug-induced sex game. | |
| Everyone in this room associates Meredith with a tragic event - we would like to concentrate on the 21 years that we had with her John Kercher Pair convicted of Kercher murder Murder scene: Kercher flat | Everyone in this room associates Meredith with a tragic event - we would like to concentrate on the 21 years that we had with her John Kercher Pair convicted of Kercher murder Murder scene: Kercher flat |
| Small-time drug dealer Rudy Guede, 22, had been jailed for 30 years for his part in the murder last October. | Small-time drug dealer Rudy Guede, 22, had been jailed for 30 years for his part in the murder last October. |
| In a statement read to a press conference in Perugia, Miss Kercher's brother Lyle said: "Ultimately we are pleased with the verdict. | In a statement read to a press conference in Perugia, Miss Kercher's brother Lyle said: "Ultimately we are pleased with the verdict. |
| "It's not a time for celebration. It's not a moment of triumph. | "It's not a time for celebration. It's not a moment of triumph. |
| "We are all gathered here because our sister was brutally murdered and taken away from us. | "We are all gathered here because our sister was brutally murdered and taken away from us. |
| "Of course, there were two very young people who have been sentenced yesterday to a very long time behind bars." | "Of course, there were two very young people who have been sentenced yesterday to a very long time behind bars." |
| The Kerchers were awarded a total of 4.4m euros (£4m) in compensation, but Mr Kercher said the figure was "symbolic" and no amount could make up for their loss. | |
| He said the sum was to reflect the "severity and gravity of the case". | He said the sum was to reflect the "severity and gravity of the case". |
| Miss Kercher's mother Arline told reporters: "At the end of the day you have to go on the evidence because there's nothing else." | Miss Kercher's mother Arline told reporters: "At the end of the day you have to go on the evidence because there's nothing else." |
| The family praised the efforts of police, prosecutors, and jurors during the two years since Miss Kercher's death, with sister Stephanie thanking the public for their messages of support. | The family praised the efforts of police, prosecutors, and jurors during the two years since Miss Kercher's death, with sister Stephanie thanking the public for their messages of support. |
| Knox family 'angry' | Knox family 'angry' |
| Her other brother John Kercher said: "Everyone in this room associates Meredith with a tragic event but we would prefer not to remember her in that way. | Her other brother John Kercher said: "Everyone in this room associates Meredith with a tragic event but we would prefer not to remember her in that way. |
| "We would like to concentrate on the 21 years that we had with her." | "We would like to concentrate on the 21 years that we had with her." |
| Meanwhile, Knox's parents have maintained their daughter's innocence and have vowed to appeal. | |
| After visiting her in prison on Saturday, Knox's mother Edda Mellas told reporters: "Amanda like the rest of us is extremely disappointed, upset about the decision. | |
| Lyle Kercher: Family 'pleased' with guilty verdicts | Lyle Kercher: Family 'pleased' with guilty verdicts |
| "We're all in shock. We told her she's going to get out of here, it's going to take a little longer. | |
| "She had a lot of support when she got back to the jail, everybody there, the inmates and the guards were all taking great care of her." | |
| Amanda Knox's father, Curt, had told American television reporters he did not understand how his daughter could be convicted. | |
| Describing his reaction to the verdict, he said: "Anger, just disbelief on how a judicial system could even come up with a verdict like this. It's beyond me." | |
| The family maintain the prosecution failed to explain why there was no evidence of Knox being in the room where Miss Kercher died. | |
| They also claimed media "attacks on Amanda's character" had swayed the jury. | They also claimed media "attacks on Amanda's character" had swayed the jury. |
| Police are still not certain why Knox, Sollecito and Guede were all at the house together, but they suspect it involved a drugs transaction. | Police are still not certain why Knox, Sollecito and Guede were all at the house together, but they suspect it involved a drugs transaction. |
| Sex game | |
| The prosecution said they cornered Miss Kercher in her room and began some kind of sex game which ended with her being held down while Knox cut her throat with a six-inch kitchen knife. | |
| Her semi-naked body was found in a pool of blood. | Her semi-naked body was found in a pool of blood. |
| Afterwards they tried to make the death look like part of a failed burglary, breaking the window in Miss Kercher's room to look like forced entry, the court heard. | |
| Knox's odd behaviour after the body was found also aroused suspicions - she was reported to have performed a cartwheel and done the splits while waiting to be questioned by police. | Knox's odd behaviour after the body was found also aroused suspicions - she was reported to have performed a cartwheel and done the splits while waiting to be questioned by police. |
| Knox's mother, Edda Mellas: "Amanda, like the rest of us, is extremely disappointed" | |
| At the end of a trial which began on 16 January this year, sitting infrequently, the jury deliberated for 13 hours before reaching its verdict. | |
| After the judge read the decision to a hushed court, Knox buried her head in her lawyer's chest and sobbed. | |
| Her sister Deanna wept uncontrollably as Knox was led out of court crying. | Her sister Deanna wept uncontrollably as Knox was led out of court crying. |
| The family left court in tears, fighting through the crowds of journalists gathered outside. | The family left court in tears, fighting through the crowds of journalists gathered outside. |
| In Seattle her grandmother, Elisabeth Huff, added: "They didn't listen to the facts of the case. All they did was listen to the media's lies." | In Seattle her grandmother, Elisabeth Huff, added: "They didn't listen to the facts of the case. All they did was listen to the media's lies." |
| The court ordered Knox and Sollecito to pay 1m euros (£900,000) to Miss Kercher's mother and the same amount to her father. | |
| Her siblings would each receive 800,000 euros (£720,000), the court ruled. | |
| Knox was told she must also pay 40,000 euros (£36,000) compensation to local barman Patrick Lumumba, for falsely accusing him of the murder. | |
| Miss Kercher, from Coulsdon, Surrey, had been sharing a house with Knox, also a student, on her year abroad in the Umbrian hilltop town. | |