Italian Court sets Amanda Knox free

Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito won their appeal against their conviction in a brutal murder of a young British woman.

US Amanda Knox (C) bursts into tears after she was cleared of the murder of Meredith Kercher in a court in Perugia, Italy. AFP

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Italian Court sets Amanda Knox free

PERUGIA, Italy, AFP – Amanda Knox was set to fly back to the United States on Tuesday after being acquitted of murder and released from prison in Italy in a dramatic showdown in the battle to prove her innocence.

The 24-year-old Seattle native sobbed and slumped as the verdict was read out and her parents burst into tears in the courtroom in Perugia in central Italy, while British victim Meredith Kercher's family sat in stunned silence.

She was driven back to the Capanne prison near Perugia and discharged a short time later. Knox was later seen being driven away in a black Mercedes to be reunited with her family after four years in Italian custody.

Local lawmaker Rocco Girlanda, who befriended Knox and published a book of interviews with her last year, told reporters outside the prison gates that Knox would take a commercial flight for the United States on Tuesday.

Italian Rafaelle Sollecito (L) reacts with his lawyer Giulia Bongiorno after the verdict was read out clearing him and Amanda Knox of the murder of Meredith Kercher. AFP

Knox was acquitted "for not committing the act," judge Claudio Pratillo Hellmann said, reading out the ruling after 11 hours of jury deliberations.

Knox's former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, who was appealing the same convictions for the gruesome 2007 killing, was also acquitted and drove away from Terni prison with his father, headed for his home town in southern Italy.

Knox's sister, Deanna, told reporters: "We are grateful Amanda's nightmare is over. She suffered for four years for a crime she did not commit.

Knox's friends in Seattle cheered and wept as they watched the verdict live on television.

But outside the courtroom in Perugia an angry crowd of hundreds of local residents gathered and there were shouts of: "Shame! Shame!" and "Murderers!"

Some heckled Knox's lawyers and one man shouted: "They're guilty!"

The 21-year-old Kercher was found half-naked in a pool of blood on the floor of her bedroom in the cottage she shared with Knox. Her body was covered in knife wounds and bruises and investigators found traces of a sexual assault.

At the original trial Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison for the murder and Sollecito to 25 years.

A third person, Rudy Guede, was also convicted and is serving out a 16-year prison sentence after exhausting his chances for appeal.

Prosecutors had asked for life sentences against Knox and Sollecito and had alleged Kercher was killed in a drug-fuelled attack involving all three of the original suspects.

Knox, Sollecito and Guede have all denied any involvement in the killing, although Guede said he was in the house at the time of the murder while Knox and Sollecito said they were at Sollecito's house that night.

"I did not kill, I did not rape, I did not steal. I wasn't there," a tearful and ashen-faced Knox told the court earlier on Monday, before the eight-person jury retired to chambers to consider its verdict.

burst into tears – to suddenly start crying ร้องไห้
murder – the crime of intentionally killing a person ฆาตกรรม
set to – ready to do something พร้อม
acquit – to state officially that someone is not guilty of the crime they were accused of ตัดสินให้พ้นโทษ
release – to allow someone to go free ปล่อยตัว
dramatic – sudden, very great and often surprising; exciting and impressive น่าทึ่งใจ, ตื่นเต้นเร้าใจ
showdown – a final event, etc. that settles a disagreement between people and proves who is the winner การเผชิญหน้า
innocence – the condition of not having done anything wrong or illegal ความบริสุทธิ์
native – someone who was born in a particular place ชาวพื้นเมือง
sob – to cry noisily while taking short breaths ร้องโอดครวญ
slump – to sit or fall down heavily งอตัว, ทรุดตัวลง
verdict – a decision by a court of law คำพิพากษา
victim – someone who has been harmed, injured or killed as the result of a crime เหยื่อผู้เคราะห์ร้าย
stunned – very shocked or surprised  มึน, ตกตะลึง, งงงัน
silence – complete lack of noise or sound  ความเงียบ
discharge – to allow someone officially to leave somewhere, especially a prison, hospital or a court of law ได้รับอนุญาตให้ออกจาก
reunite - to bring together again รวมกันใหม่
custody – the state of being in prison, especially while waiting for trial  การกักขัง, การคุมขัง
local – in or related to the area that you live, or to the particular area that you are talking about  ท้องถิ่น
befriend – to make friends with someone ทำตัวเป็นเพื่อนกับ, ผูกมิตร
commercial – for business purposes เกี่ยวกับการค้า
commit – to do something wrong or illegal ทำความผิด
act – an action, in this case, committing a murder การกระทำ
ruling – a decision by a court of law คำตัดสิน คำชี้ขาด
jury – a group of people who have been chosen to listen to all the facts in a trial in a law court and to decide whether a person is guilty or not guilty, or whether a claim has been proved คณะลูกขุน
deliberations – considering or discussing something การปรึกษาหารือ
appeal – to make a formal request for a court of law to change its decision อุทธรณ์
conviction – when someone is officially found to be guilty of a particular crime การพิสูจน์ว่ากระทำผิด
gruesome – involving or describing death or injury in a very unpleasant way น่ากลัว น่ารังเกียจ
react – to change or behave in a particular way as a result of or in response to something เกิดปฏิกิริยา
grateful – a feeling that you want thank someone because they have given you something or done something for you สำนึกบุญคุณ
nightmare – an extremely unpleasant event or experience or possible event or experience; a very upsetting or frightening dream ฝันร้าย
suffer – to be badly affected by a very difficult or unpleasant situation ประสบความลำบาก
wept (past of weep) – cried because of being unhappy or having some other strong emotion ร้องไห้
residents – people who live in a particular area ประชาชนที่อาศัยในท้องที่
gather – to come together in a group รวมกลุ่ม, รวมตัวกัน, จับกลุ่มกัน, ชุมนุม
shame – used to say that somebody should feel ashamed (guilty or embarrassed ละอายใจ, รู้สึกผิด) for something they have said or done  
heckle – to interrupt someone or annoy someone with loud unfriendly statements or questions รบกวนคนที่กำสังพูดอยู่ด้วยการตะโกน
guilty – proven to have committed a crime มีความผิด
naked – not wearing any clothes เปลือยกาย
wound – an injury in which your skin or flesh is damaged บาดแผล
bruise – a mark that you get on your body if you are hit or if you knock against something  แผลฟกช้ำ, รอยฟกช้ำ
investigator – someone whose job is to officially find out the facts about something – ผู้สอบสวน,  ผู้สำรวจ, ผู้ตรวจสอบ
traces – very small amounts of a substance ร่องรอย
assault – a physical attack on someone การทำร้าย
trial – the process of examining a case in a court of law and deciding whether someone has or has not committed a crime  การพิจารณาคดี
sentence – (of a court of law) to give a punishment to someone who has been found guilty of committing a crime คำพิพากษา
serve a sentence – to spend time in prison as a punishment มารับโทษจำคุก
exhaust – to use all of something so that there is none left ใช้หมด
prosecutor – a lawyer whose job is to prove in court that someone accused of a crime is guilty อัยการ
allege – to say that something is true or that someone has done something wrong, even though this has not been proved  กล่าวหา
fuel – to cause something, usually bad, to happen ก่อให้เกิด
involved – taking part or having a role in something เกี่ยวข้อง
suspect – a person who is thought to have committed a crime ผู้ต้องสงสัย
deny – to say that you did not do something that someone has accused you of doing ปฏิเสธ
involvement – the act or process of taking part in something การเกี่ยวข้อง
rape – the crime of forcefully having sex with someone against their wish การข่มขืน
ashen – very pale; without colour because of illness or fear ขาวซีด
retire – to leave a place, especially to go somewhere quieter or more private ออกไป
chamber – a room used for the particular purpose ห้อง, ห้องผู้พิพากษา, ห้องสำนักงานทนายความ
consider – to give careful thought to something before making a decision พิจารณา