Amanda Knox's ex-boyfriend says his life is 'on hold' as he awaits retrial for murder of 21-year-old British student in 2007
The former boyfriend of Amanda Knox has spoken of how his life is "on hold" as he faces a retrial over the murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher.
Raffaele Sollecito has denied any involvement in the killing of the Leeds University student who was found with her throat slashed in the bedroom of the house in Perugia in central Italy that she shared with Knox in November 2007.
"Every tiny little day, it is constantly on my shoulder, because these trials, this kind of situation, has put my life on hold," Sollecito told ITV's Daybreak.
"I cannot find a normal life, a job, a career or something to focus on instead of thinking about the trial, about the documents, about what will happen, about how to pay lawyers, how to pay my bills," he said.
Italy's highest criminal court, the court of cassation, ruled in March that an appeals court in Florence must re-hear the case against Knox and Sollecito for the murder of 21-year-old Kercher, from Coulsdon, Surrey.
Sollecito is due to face a retrial on 30 September. But Knox's lawyer revealed last month that the American will not return to Italy for the trial.
The pair were found guilty in December 2009 of murdering Kercher, with Knox sentenced to 26 years in prison and Sollecito 25 years.
But, after an 11-month appeal in a Perugia court, both convictions were thrown out in October 2011.
Prosecutors claimed that Kercher was the victim of a drug-fuelled sex game gone awry.
Knox and Sollecito have consistently protested their innocence and claim they were not even in the apartment on the night Kercher died.
They were convicted following a high-profile trial but were released after an appeals court found the prosecution lacking and criticised large swaths of the case against them.
The case mounted against them by prosecutors was ripped apart by the Italian appeals court, which noted that the murder weapon was never found, DNA tests were faulty and prosecutors provided no motive for murder.
Sollecito has defended himself against claims that he and Knox had made money out of the tragedy. He has said he wants Italian prosecutors to read his book to find out the facts about the case.
Speaking about his relationship with Knox, Sollecito said: "It was a teenage romance, it was a blossoming, we were eager to date each other to see each other every day. But as soon as we dated and we started to have this romance, it was shut down, it was destroyed by events and circumstances."
Rudy Guede, a small-time drug dealer from the Ivory Coast, is the only person who remains behind bars over the case. He is serving a 16-year sentence in Italy for sexually assaulting and killing the British student.
He has always admitted being present at Kercher's home on the night of the murder but denied involvement. Reported by guardian.co.uk 25 minutes ago.
The former boyfriend of Amanda Knox has spoken of how his life is "on hold" as he faces a retrial over the murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher.
Raffaele Sollecito has denied any involvement in the killing of the Leeds University student who was found with her throat slashed in the bedroom of the house in Perugia in central Italy that she shared with Knox in November 2007.
"Every tiny little day, it is constantly on my shoulder, because these trials, this kind of situation, has put my life on hold," Sollecito told ITV's Daybreak.
"I cannot find a normal life, a job, a career or something to focus on instead of thinking about the trial, about the documents, about what will happen, about how to pay lawyers, how to pay my bills," he said.
Italy's highest criminal court, the court of cassation, ruled in March that an appeals court in Florence must re-hear the case against Knox and Sollecito for the murder of 21-year-old Kercher, from Coulsdon, Surrey.
Sollecito is due to face a retrial on 30 September. But Knox's lawyer revealed last month that the American will not return to Italy for the trial.
The pair were found guilty in December 2009 of murdering Kercher, with Knox sentenced to 26 years in prison and Sollecito 25 years.
But, after an 11-month appeal in a Perugia court, both convictions were thrown out in October 2011.
Prosecutors claimed that Kercher was the victim of a drug-fuelled sex game gone awry.
Knox and Sollecito have consistently protested their innocence and claim they were not even in the apartment on the night Kercher died.
They were convicted following a high-profile trial but were released after an appeals court found the prosecution lacking and criticised large swaths of the case against them.
The case mounted against them by prosecutors was ripped apart by the Italian appeals court, which noted that the murder weapon was never found, DNA tests were faulty and prosecutors provided no motive for murder.
Sollecito has defended himself against claims that he and Knox had made money out of the tragedy. He has said he wants Italian prosecutors to read his book to find out the facts about the case.
Speaking about his relationship with Knox, Sollecito said: "It was a teenage romance, it was a blossoming, we were eager to date each other to see each other every day. But as soon as we dated and we started to have this romance, it was shut down, it was destroyed by events and circumstances."
Rudy Guede, a small-time drug dealer from the Ivory Coast, is the only person who remains behind bars over the case. He is serving a 16-year sentence in Italy for sexually assaulting and killing the British student.
He has always admitted being present at Kercher's home on the night of the murder but denied involvement. Reported by guardian.co.uk 25 minutes ago.