Meredith Trial: Murder Cops Give Evidence

5:39am UK, Friday February 27, 2009

Nick Pisa, in Rome
Murder squad detectives will give evidence today in the trial of those accused of killing a British student in Italy.

Split over the next two days, 12 witnesses will testify after being called by chief prosecutor Giuliano Mignini as the trial against Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito resumes.

Both are accused of the murder and sexual assault of Meredith Kercher, 21, who was found semi-naked and with her throat cut in her bedroom, in the house she shared with Knox, also 21.

Forensic officers will be included among those presenting evidence.

The prosecution claims that she was murdered after she refused to take part in a drug-fuelled sex game and that her death was made to look like a break-in.

Among those to be called will be Monica Napoleone, head of the murder squad and her superior officer Giacinto Profazio, chief of the flying squad in Perugia, where Meredith was murdered in November 2007.

Judge Giancarlo Massei and the jury will also hear from Edgardo Giobbi, head of the forensic squad in Rome which investigated the murder and gathered the DNA and scientific evidence against Knox and Sollecito, 24.

He will describe how DNA from Knox was traced on the handle of a 30cm kitchen knife found at Sollecito's house, while that of Meredith was discovered on the blade.

Evidence will also include mobile telephone records which will piece together the movements of Knox and Sollecito in the hours before and after the murder through "cell or antenna locations".

Knox and Sollecito have denied any involvement in the murder and their defence teams say that the DNA evidence against them is contaminated and flawed.

At the last hearing the court heard from seven British friends of Meredith who described how Knox was "cold and unemotional" while they were at Perugia police station waiting to be questioned by police.

Flatmate Laura Mezzetti told the trial that she had noticed a scratch on Knox's neck hours after Meredith's body had been found which she had not seen before.

American Knox has her father Curt in court to support her but surprised the last hearing on Valentine's Day by walking in wearing a white t-shirt with the slogan "All You Need Is Love".

Meredith, from Coulsden, Surrey, was in Perugia as part of a year long exchange programme with her European Studies degree at Leeds University.

She had only been in Italy eight weeks when she was murdered.

Earlier this month the house where she was killed was the scene of a break-in by suspected Satanists who left knives and candles in various rooms.

The incident is still being investigated by police.

What is it with Italy and satanists? Are there alot out there or is the prosecutor fixated on them?