Death penalty for Borneo man after murdering British students
A fishmonger has been sentenced to death for murdering two "exceptional young" British medical students who had been working in a Malaysian hospital.
Borneo man Zulkipli Abdullah, 24, was found guilty of murder by a Malaysian court this morning (Tuesday).
Aidan Brunger from Kent (pictured below) and Neil Dalton from Derbyshire (pictured above) were both 22 and studying medicine at Newcastle University, the Mirror reports.
The young men were working in a hospital in Kuching when they were stabbed and killed.
Both the students were involved in an incident in a café in the early hours of the morning when they were attacked.
According to the BBC, the fishmonger initially denied murder but did confess to being part of the street fight.
A statement from both the boys' parents said: "Since Aidan and Neil were killed on 6 August 2014, our lives have been shattered. They were two exceptional young men with such promise - kind, funny and full of life."
They also added: "Our sons would soon have qualified as doctors. Their unprovoked and senseless murders as they were walking home after a night out with other medical students mean that Aidan and Neil will never have the chance to spend their lives caring for and helping others."
The Daily Mail reports that five men were arrested at the time, but only Abdullah was charged.
The two students were found in a road in the Jalan Padungan area of Kuching on 6 August last year.
Kieran Mitchell, the families' lawyer, said: "Since that day the families have put their faith in the Borneo justice system, which is very different to our own, adding further strain and difficulty during this devastating ordeal.
"After a long and complicated trial they are relieved that justice has been done."
The death penalty is mandatory for murder in Malaysia.
Related articles
Police launch international manhunt after woman is found dead in Cardiff hotel
Woman's body found in two pieces in Melbourne hotel car park
British tourist's body discovered in India hotel room