Italian court cuts Ivorian's sentence for British student's murder

An Italian appeals court upheld Tuesday an Ivorian man's conviction for the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher, but almost halved his jail sentence to 16 years, dpa reported.

"I am not happy because I am innocent," Rudy Guede said, as he was led out of the courtroom in the central Italian city of Perugia.

Guede's jail sentence was reduced from 30 years to 24 due to the appeals court's decision to discard as aggravating, several circumstances included in his 2008 sentencing, such as sexual assault and "futile motive," the ANSA news agency said.

In addition, Guede also benefited from special provisions governing fast-track trials which further reduced his sentence by another eight years.

The 23-year-old Guede's lawyers had requested that his guilty verdict be overturned and that he be acquitted. They said their client would lodge another appeal, as permitted under Italian law.

Shortly after his 2007 arrest, Guede had opted for a fast-track trial for the case in which Kercher's Perugia roommate, US student Amanda Knox and her Italian former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, were also accused of murder.

The 21-year-old Kercher, who was found in her bedroom, half-naked and strangled and stabbed to death on November 2, 2007.

Guede, who had previously been in trouble with the law because of drug-dealing, was implicated in the case after a bloodied fingerprint on Kercher's pillow was found to be his.

Earlier this month, following a highly publicized trial that lasted almost a year, his co-accused were also convicted, with Knox receiving a 26-year sentence and Sollecito getting 25 years.

Prosecutors charged that Knox had instigated a drug-fueled sex game involving Sollecito and Guede that turned violent and ultimately led to Kercher's murder.

Knox and Sollecito also deny wrongdoing and are expected to appeal their convictions.

The case has drawn international media attention especially from the United States and Britain.

It has also generated great interest in Italy where people were shocked by the murder in the student community of the normally tranquil Perugia.