Meredith Kercher's dad dies in 'hit-and-run' outside own home

7 February 2020, 00:35 | Updated: 7 February 2020, 00:46

The dad of murdered student Meredith Kercher has died following a suspected hit-and-run outside his home in Croydon.

John Kercher, 77, reportedly suffered a broken leg and arm in the incident on 13 January and passed away on Saturday, according to The Sun.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, told the newspaper: “It’s so sad, he was a very nice man. Nobody really knows what happened.

“He was across the road in the shop. He came out. It was quite misty that day.

“All of a sudden people came out of the shop and he was on the floor.”

A spokesperson for the Met Police said officers were called to Windmill Road in Croydon at 7.30pm on 13 January to reports of a man found collapsed.

Detectives are currently treating his death as "unexplained" and have appealed for anyone who may have information to come forward.

Det Sgt Steve Andrews said: “Despite thorough enquiries made so far, including speaking to witnesses and examining potential CCTV opportunities, we’ve not as yet been able to establish how he came to sustain his injuries, which included a broken arm and broken leg.

“We are keeping an open mind as to the circumstances of his death, including whether he may have been involved in a collision.

“Please make the call to us, or anonymously via Crimestoppers if you can help us determine what happened.”

Mr Kercher was a well-known national journalist with more than four decades of experience at titles such as The Sun and the Mirror.

He and his family were thrown into the limelight in 2007 when his 21-year-old daughter Meredith was brutally raped and murdered during an exchange trip in Italy.

Her American housemate Amanda Knox was convicted of her murder alongside Knox's boyfriend Rafaelle Solecito, with prosecutors claiming Meredith was killed during a sex game gone wrong.

But the pair were later cleared on appeal, and another man - Rudy Guede - was later found guilty of her sexual assault ad murder.

Mr Kercher is survived by his sons John 43, Lyle, 40, and 36-year-old daughter Stephanie.

In a statement, his heartbroken family said: "We loved him dearly and he is going to be very sorely missed".