An inquest has finally taken place into the death of Meredith Kercher who was brutally murdered in Italy more than six years ago.

The 21-year-old had been in Perugia for three months as part of a university exchange programme when she was found dead in her student accommodation on November 1, 2007.

This morning’s inquest heard she died of haemorrhagic shock from stab wounds to her neck.

Miss Kercher’s family chose not to attend the hearing at Croydon Coroner’s Court.

Coroner Dr Roy Palmer said: “Meredith Kercher's case was returned to my area and was unnatural.

“It was clearly an unlawful death.

"Three people were arrested and tried.

“My understanding was one male was convicted and did not appeal so he stands convicted of unlawful killing.

"The other two were convicted and appealed and I understand they stand convicted but there may be further procedures."

The post-mortem examination result was taken from a court document in Perugia and had been translated from Italian to English before being read out at the inquest.

Coroner’s office manager Barry May said: "The autopsy ruled the cause of death to be from haemorrhagic shock caused by stab and incision wounds to the neck."

Recording his verdict, Dr Palmer said: “I do conclude she was unlawfully killed."

A jury found 24-year-old Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, aged 27, were both found guilty of Miss Kercher’s murder in 2009.

But the pair were acquitted and released in 2011 after an appeals court reviewed the case.

After being released from an Italian jail Knox flew back to her home in Seattle, USA, and did not go back to Italy last September after a new appeal was ordered to take place after the Italian Supreme Court dismissed the 2011 ruling as being flawed.

And on January 30 an appeal judge reinstated the original conviction and increased their sentences.

Knox has been sentenced to 28 years and six months, Sollecito to 25 years.

A third person, Rudy Guede, 27, was tried and convicted separately in 2008 for Meredith's murder and was sentenced to 16 years in prison.