Amanda Knox, one of the suspects in the Meredith Kercher murder inquiry, has appeared in court in Italy for a hearing.

The 21-year-old American and Rudy Hermann Guede, also 21 and originally from the Ivory Coast, appeared before a judge at the closed pre-trial hearing in the Italian town of Perugia.

However, there was no sign of the third suspect in the case, Knox's Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 24. His lawyer Marco Brusco refused to say why his client was not in court.

As Knox arrived, she appeared to be handcuffed to police officers. She was frowning as she walked into court, wearing jeans and a white top and ignored questions from reporters.

Guede was flanked by officers, dressed casually in a green jumper and cream trousers.

The Kercher family entered the court without making any comment to the waiting media.

Cleared suspect Diya "Patrick" Lumumba was also in court. His lawyer said he would be joining the case as a "civil plaintiff" suing Knox for falsely implicating him in Miss Kercher's murder.

Miss Kercher was found semi-naked with her throat slit at the home she shared with Knox and others on Via Della Pergola in Perugia on the night of November 1, 2007.

The three suspects have been accused of killing her in a bungled sex game.

Fearful of a pact between former lovers Knox and Sollecito, Guede plans to ask for a separate trial from them if he is indicted, his lawyer said last week.

Valter Biscotti said his client would seek a fast-track trial, a process which is shorter and often leads to shorter sentences.

Guede reportedly sent a letter to his lawyers expressing his fear of being made a scapegoat, and taking issue with the way he has been depicted as a drug dealer and addict.

He was quoted in the regional newspaper Corriere dell'Umbria as writing: "It is easier for them to point the finger at me than at each other."

All three suspects deny sexually assaulting and murdering the student from Coulsdon in Surrey.

Mr Maresca said the judge would probably not decide whether the three should be tried for murder until the end of October and that today's hearing would be the first of six or seven between now and then.

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