Life term call at Kercher hearing

Rudy Guede denies the sexual assault and murder of Meredith Kercher

Prosecutors in Italy have asked for a life sentence for one of three suspects in the murder of Meredith Kercher, a British exchange student from London.

Rudy Guede, 22, from Ivory Coast, is accused of sexually assaulting the 21-year-old before her throat was slit.

Under Italian law Mr Guede has taken a special fast-track trial which will allow him some leniency if convicted.

Mr Guede, American Amanda Knox, 21, and Italian Raffaele Sollecito, 24, all deny the killing in November 2007.

The proceedings are being held behind closed doors in Perugia, the university town where Miss Kercher, who was from Coulsdon, south London and attended Leeds University, was found dead in her apartment with her throat slit.

Meredith was my friend and I had no motive to kill her Amanda Knox

The two other suspects in the murder are Miss Kercher's flat-mate, Amanda Knox, and Miss Knox's boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito.

According to Reuters news agency, prosecutors claim Mr Guede and Mr Sollecito held down Miss Kercher while Miss Knox dealt the fatal blow with a knife, and that Mr Guede also sexually assaulted the British student while holding her down.

Prosecutors are asking the judge to order the American and the Italian, who have not opted for the fast-track procedure, to stand trial for murder next year.

Miss Knox again protested her innocence during the latest hearing.

"Meredith was my friend and I had no motive to kill her," she told the court.