Profile: Kercher killer Rudy Guede

Rudy Guede fled from Italy and was arrested in Germany

Amanda Knox, 22, and Raffaele Sollecito, 25, have been found guilty of stabbing to death British exchange student Meredith Kercher in her flat in Perugia, Italy, in 2007.

But another man, Rudy Hermann Guede, 22, who has joint Italian and Ivorian nationality, has already been convicted of her killing and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

He fled to Germany after the murder but police began searching for him after finding a bloody fingerprint on a pillow that did not match the other suspects.

He was arrested in Mainz for being on a train without a ticket and was extradited to Italy to face murder charges.

Under Italian law, Guede took a special fast-track trial which took place behind closed doors.

Guede chose to be tried separately from Knox and Sollecito because he feared a pact between the former lovers.

He had admitted he was in Miss Kercher's home the night she was murdered but denied any wrongdoing.

He said he was in the bathroom of the flat when the crime was committed and heard screams.

However, the Italian judge did not believe him and found him guilty of murder.

He was adopted by a family living in Perugia, although they are said to have since broken all contact with him.

He is appealing against his conviction.