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• Amanda Knox cleared of murder of Meredith Kercher
• Former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito also cleared
• Knox to pay 22,000 Euros to barman she falsely accused of murder
• "Thankful that Amanda's nightmare is over", says Knox's sister
• 'I did not kill, I did not rape my friend', Knox told court
• Kercher family: 'Meredith has been hugely forgotten
• 'Brutality' of 2007 murder makes 'it very difficult to forgive'
A jury in Perugia, where the murder took place four years ago, overturned Knox's 26-year jail sentence for the sexual assault and murder of the Leeds University student.
She will walk free from Capanne prison, outside Perugia, after serving four years for a crime that the appeal court ruled she did not commit.
Her Italian former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito also had his murder conviction quashed.
Hundreds of people gathered in the streets outside the court shouted "shame" when they heard about the decision.
Knox was told she must pay 22,000 Euros in compensation to Diya "Patrick" Lumumba, a barman she falsely accused of the murder.
Knox’s family, who had always believed in her innocence, were ecstatic
American television networks are reportedly offering large sums of money for her first interview, and a book and film are also said to be in the pipeline.
Knox walked out of the court in floods of tears, followed shortly afterwards by Sollecito, who showed little expression on his face.
Members of Knox's family smiled and hugged each other after the results were read out by the judge. Some friends and relatives simply clasped their hands over their mouths, seemingly in surprise.
Her mother Edda Mellas helped wipe the tears from the face of one of her daughter's friends as the verdict sunk in. Lawyers were also seen embracing and patting each other on the back.
Meredith's brother Lyle and sister Stephanie comforted each other as they remained seated in the courtroom with their mother Arline.
The Kercher family said at a press conference early in Perugia that they wanted her original verdict upheld, saying the evidence pointed to her guilt.
“We were satisfied the last time and nothing has changed since then,” said her sister, Stephanie Kercher, before the verdict was handed down.
They said their Italian lawyers had battled the “large PR machine” that swung into action in the United States to protest Knox’s innocence and argue that she had been a victim of a miscarriage of justice.
It followed a dramatic, final day in the appeal hearing in Perugia of the two students.
Earlier a tearful and emotional Knox told the Italian court that she had nothing to do with the murder of Miss Kercher.
Her voice trembling and struggling to maintain her composure, Knox stood up in the frescoed, medieval courtroom in Perugia and declared: "I did not kill, I did not rape, I did not steal. I was not there."
At her trial in 2009, Knox and former boyfriend Mr Sollecito were convicted of sexual assault, murder and the theft of Miss Kercher's two mobile phones and a sum of cash.
On Monday Knox, wearing a green blouse, black jacket and black trousers, said that Miss Kercher had been killed "in the most brutal and inexplicable manner possible".
She denied there was any enmity between them, saying they were good friends and that the British exchange student "was always nice to me".
Writing is one of the American student's passions, but the address she gave to the six jurors and two judges who decided her fate was the most important piece of prose she was ever going to write.
"I want to go home," she said, declining an invitation from the appeal judge to sit down if she felt too shaky and nervous to stand. "I want to go back to my life. I am paying with my life for a crime I didn't commit."
Immediately after she spoke, the jury went into chambers to consider their decision, with Knox's heartfelt declaration still ringing in their ears.
Knox, 24, said she was "completely different" to how she has been depicted by prosecution lawyers, who in their summing up last week labelled her a "diabolical witch" and a "she-devil".
"I am not who they say I am," she said, insisting that her conviction for murdering the Leeds University student had been "absolutely unjust, without foundation".
"I am paying with my life for something I did not do," she said.
She said that during an all-night interrogation by police on four days after Miss Kercher was murdered, during which she confessed to being in the house on the night of the killing, she had been "manipulated" by police and highly stressed.
In contrast to Knox's passionate and strongly delivered address, that of her ex-boyfriend was halting and tentative.
Mr Sollecito told the court he had never hurt anybody in his life in his appeal for his 25 year sentence to be overturned.
Meredith Kercher's mother, Arline, and her sister, Stephanie, flew into Perugia airport on Monday morning on a flight from Stansted. They joined one of Meredith's two brothers, Lyle, at a hotel in the university town.
In a press conference later, they said their murdered sister has been "hugely forgotten".
Stephanie said that the appeal launched by Knox and her Raffaele Sollecito has seen her little sister slip from focus.
"Mez has been hugely forgotten in all of this. There is not a lot that has been said about what happened at the time," she said.
She continued: "It has been very difficult to keep her memory alive in all of this, this is why the whole trial is going on in the first place, and that we can find justice for her."
Miss Kercher said forgiveness "does not come into it" at the moment.
She went on: "It would be very difficult to forgive anything at this stage.
"What everyone needs to remember is ... the brutality of what happened that night, everything that Meredith must have felt that night, everything she went through, the fear and the terror, and not knowing why.
"She doesn't deserve that, no-one deserves that."
Meredith's mother Arline refused to say whether she believed Knox killed her daughter but said she trusted the Italian justice system.
She added: "You have to go by the evidence because there is nothing else. What I want, what they want doesn't come into it.
"It is what the police have found, what the science has found, what the evidence is and that's all you can go on.
"It is to find out what happened to Meredith and to get some justice really."
By Nick Squires, in Perugia
Amanda Knox cleared of the murder of Meredith Kercher - Telegraph
• Former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito also cleared
• Knox to pay 22,000 Euros to barman she falsely accused of murder
• "Thankful that Amanda's nightmare is over", says Knox's sister
• 'I did not kill, I did not rape my friend', Knox told court
• Kercher family: 'Meredith has been hugely forgotten
• 'Brutality' of 2007 murder makes 'it very difficult to forgive'
A jury in Perugia, where the murder took place four years ago, overturned Knox's 26-year jail sentence for the sexual assault and murder of the Leeds University student.
She will walk free from Capanne prison, outside Perugia, after serving four years for a crime that the appeal court ruled she did not commit.
Her Italian former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito also had his murder conviction quashed.
Hundreds of people gathered in the streets outside the court shouted "shame" when they heard about the decision.
Knox was told she must pay 22,000 Euros in compensation to Diya "Patrick" Lumumba, a barman she falsely accused of the murder.
Knox’s family, who had always believed in her innocence, were ecstatic
American television networks are reportedly offering large sums of money for her first interview, and a book and film are also said to be in the pipeline.
Knox walked out of the court in floods of tears, followed shortly afterwards by Sollecito, who showed little expression on his face.
Members of Knox's family smiled and hugged each other after the results were read out by the judge. Some friends and relatives simply clasped their hands over their mouths, seemingly in surprise.
Her mother Edda Mellas helped wipe the tears from the face of one of her daughter's friends as the verdict sunk in. Lawyers were also seen embracing and patting each other on the back.
Meredith's brother Lyle and sister Stephanie comforted each other as they remained seated in the courtroom with their mother Arline.
The Kercher family said at a press conference early in Perugia that they wanted her original verdict upheld, saying the evidence pointed to her guilt.
“We were satisfied the last time and nothing has changed since then,” said her sister, Stephanie Kercher, before the verdict was handed down.
They said their Italian lawyers had battled the “large PR machine” that swung into action in the United States to protest Knox’s innocence and argue that she had been a victim of a miscarriage of justice.
It followed a dramatic, final day in the appeal hearing in Perugia of the two students.
Earlier a tearful and emotional Knox told the Italian court that she had nothing to do with the murder of Miss Kercher.
Her voice trembling and struggling to maintain her composure, Knox stood up in the frescoed, medieval courtroom in Perugia and declared: "I did not kill, I did not rape, I did not steal. I was not there."
At her trial in 2009, Knox and former boyfriend Mr Sollecito were convicted of sexual assault, murder and the theft of Miss Kercher's two mobile phones and a sum of cash.
On Monday Knox, wearing a green blouse, black jacket and black trousers, said that Miss Kercher had been killed "in the most brutal and inexplicable manner possible".
She denied there was any enmity between them, saying they were good friends and that the British exchange student "was always nice to me".
Writing is one of the American student's passions, but the address she gave to the six jurors and two judges who decided her fate was the most important piece of prose she was ever going to write.
"I want to go home," she said, declining an invitation from the appeal judge to sit down if she felt too shaky and nervous to stand. "I want to go back to my life. I am paying with my life for a crime I didn't commit."
Immediately after she spoke, the jury went into chambers to consider their decision, with Knox's heartfelt declaration still ringing in their ears.
Knox, 24, said she was "completely different" to how she has been depicted by prosecution lawyers, who in their summing up last week labelled her a "diabolical witch" and a "she-devil".
"I am not who they say I am," she said, insisting that her conviction for murdering the Leeds University student had been "absolutely unjust, without foundation".
"I am paying with my life for something I did not do," she said.
She said that during an all-night interrogation by police on four days after Miss Kercher was murdered, during which she confessed to being in the house on the night of the killing, she had been "manipulated" by police and highly stressed.
In contrast to Knox's passionate and strongly delivered address, that of her ex-boyfriend was halting and tentative.
Mr Sollecito told the court he had never hurt anybody in his life in his appeal for his 25 year sentence to be overturned.
Meredith Kercher's mother, Arline, and her sister, Stephanie, flew into Perugia airport on Monday morning on a flight from Stansted. They joined one of Meredith's two brothers, Lyle, at a hotel in the university town.
In a press conference later, they said their murdered sister has been "hugely forgotten".
Stephanie said that the appeal launched by Knox and her Raffaele Sollecito has seen her little sister slip from focus.
"Mez has been hugely forgotten in all of this. There is not a lot that has been said about what happened at the time," she said.
She continued: "It has been very difficult to keep her memory alive in all of this, this is why the whole trial is going on in the first place, and that we can find justice for her."
Miss Kercher said forgiveness "does not come into it" at the moment.
She went on: "It would be very difficult to forgive anything at this stage.
"What everyone needs to remember is ... the brutality of what happened that night, everything that Meredith must have felt that night, everything she went through, the fear and the terror, and not knowing why.
"She doesn't deserve that, no-one deserves that."
Meredith's mother Arline refused to say whether she believed Knox killed her daughter but said she trusted the Italian justice system.
She added: "You have to go by the evidence because there is nothing else. What I want, what they want doesn't come into it.
"It is what the police have found, what the science has found, what the evidence is and that's all you can go on.
"It is to find out what happened to Meredith and to get some justice really."
By Nick Squires, in Perugia
Amanda Knox cleared of the murder of Meredith Kercher - Telegraph
