I had sex with Meredith, but did not kill her; Above: Meredith Kercher Left: Rudy Guede.

Byline: Beth Hale

THE fourth suspect to be arrested on suspicion of murdering MeredithKercher has said he had sex with her on the night she died - but insisted hedid not kill her.

Rudy Hermann Guede, 20, made the confession during an e-mail conversation witha friend while on the run.

In the discussion - monitored by Italian police - Guede said he was invited byMiss Kercher, 21, to her bedroom on the night of November 1, where they hadsex.

In a bizarre account, he said he went to the bathroom, then heard the doorbellring, and shortly afterwards heard Meredith scream from her room.

He said he emerged from the bathroom to confront a man whom he could describeonly as a 'brown-haired Italian'.

They scuffled, and Guede fled injured.

Guede, who has joint Italian and Ivorian nationality, was arrested in Germanyon Monday.

He is awaiting extradition back to Italy, where Perugia police had issued awarrant for him after finding a

How Foxy's 'A strong attraction' warrant for him after finding a bloodyfingerprint at the scene.

Guede's extraordinary account - revealed in Italian newspapers - conflicts withhis insistence to another friend while on the run that he 'wasn't there thatnight'.

Miss Kercher, of Coulsdon, Surrey, was in Perugia for a year as part of astudent exchange programme while taking a degree at Leeds University.

She was found on November 2, lying semi-naked in her bedroom with her throatcut. Police have said she was sexually assaulted.

Forensic tests last night confirmed the bloody fingerprint on a pillowcorresponded 'exactly' to Guede's. His DNA also matched samples taken frominside Miss Kercher's body and on tissue paper in her bathroom.

Judge Claudia Matteini, who issued the arrest warrant, said: 'There are,without doubt, grave indications of the guilt of Guede

Foxy's story changed ... especially in the light of precise and irrefutableanalysis carried out by the forensic police.' The judge also said Guede 'had astrong attraction' to Meredith's American housemate, Amanda Knox, 20, who isalso being held over her murder.

Details of another statement made by Knox were also released yesterday. In thestatement - apparently made in the early days changed of her arrest - sheclaims that police hit her on the head during questioning and that herconflicting accounts of the night of Meredith's death were prompted by stressand exhaustion.

Knox, who styles herself Foxy Knoxy on her Internet profile, her Italianboyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 23, and Congolese bar owner Patrick Diya Lumumba,37, were arrested four days later on suspicion of murder and sexual violence.

But Mr Lumumba, who Knox said had gone into Meredith's room before she heardMeredith screaming, was released this week and accused the American of'framing' him.

b.hale@dailymail.co.uk