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| Death sentence for killer of British medical students on Borneo | Death sentence for killer of British medical students on Borneo |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A fishmonger has been sentenced to death for murdering two British medical students who had been working in a Malaysian hospital. | A fishmonger has been sentenced to death for murdering two British medical students who had been working in a Malaysian hospital. |
| Newcastle University students Aidan Brunger, from Kent, and Neil Dalton, from Ambergate in Derbyshire, were killed in an unprovoked attack in Sarawak on the island of Borneo in August last year, three days before they were due to complete their six-week placement at a hospital in Kuching | Newcastle University students Aidan Brunger, from Kent, and Neil Dalton, from Ambergate in Derbyshire, were killed in an unprovoked attack in Sarawak on the island of Borneo in August last year, three days before they were due to complete their six-week placement at a hospital in Kuching |
| In a joint statement released after the verdict, their parents said they had been left shattered by the senseless murder of their sons, both aged 22, which meant the pair would “never have the chance to spend their lives caring for and helping others”. | In a joint statement released after the verdict, their parents said they had been left shattered by the senseless murder of their sons, both aged 22, which meant the pair would “never have the chance to spend their lives caring for and helping others”. |
| Zulkipli Abdullah, 23, had claimed he was involved in a fight with the students along with two of his friends and that he punched one of them, but denied stabbing them to death with a knife. | Zulkipli Abdullah, 23, had claimed he was involved in a fight with the students along with two of his friends and that he punched one of them, but denied stabbing them to death with a knife. |
| However, Malaysia’s highest court rejected his defence as “merely an afterthought”, according to prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad, who said Zulkipli’s two friends testified that he he had told them he wanted to “test his strength” against bigger and taller foreigners. | However, Malaysia’s highest court rejected his defence as “merely an afterthought”, according to prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad, who said Zulkipli’s two friends testified that he he had told them he wanted to “test his strength” against bigger and taller foreigners. |
| After killing them, he sniffed the blood on his hands and told his friends that “the blood of white men smells nice”, the prosecutor said. Authorities found the folded knife that Zulkipli used in the murder at his house, which matched the stab wounds on the Britons, he added. | After killing them, he sniffed the blood on his hands and told his friends that “the blood of white men smells nice”, the prosecutor said. Authorities found the folded knife that Zulkipli used in the murder at his house, which matched the stab wounds on the Britons, he added. |
| Brunger and Dalton were on a six-week placement with five other students at a local hospital in Kuching, an area popular with backpackers. The pair were attacked outside a cafe in the Jalan Padungan district of Kuching, in the early hours of the morning of 6 August. | Brunger and Dalton were on a six-week placement with five other students at a local hospital in Kuching, an area popular with backpackers. The pair were attacked outside a cafe in the Jalan Padungan district of Kuching, in the early hours of the morning of 6 August. |
| Their parents said in their statement: “They were two exceptional young men with such promise – kind, funny and full of life. Their deaths have left their families and many good friends utterly devastated. | Their parents said in their statement: “They were two exceptional young men with such promise – kind, funny and full of life. Their deaths have left their families and many good friends utterly devastated. |
| “Neil and Aidan were having a wonderful time in Borneo, working in Sarawak hospital and also travelling around, seeing as much of the beautiful country as they could. Both boys said how very welcoming and friendly the people were. | “Neil and Aidan were having a wonderful time in Borneo, working in Sarawak hospital and also travelling around, seeing as much of the beautiful country as they could. Both boys said how very welcoming and friendly the people were. |
| “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. | “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. |
| “They would have given so much to the world. We are so very proud of both of them and in what they achieved in their all too short lives.” They said that they were pleased with the verdict but that it did not bring their sons back. | “They would have given so much to the world. We are so very proud of both of them and in what they achieved in their all too short lives.” They said that they were pleased with the verdict but that it did not bring their sons back. |
| Brunger and Dalton had both completed four years of study and were awarded posthumous degrees by Newcastle University. | Brunger and Dalton had both completed four years of study and were awarded posthumous degrees by Newcastle University. |
| The families’ British lawyer, Kieran Mitchell, from Slater and Gordon, said: “After a long and complicated trial they are relieved that justice has been done.” | |
| The death penalty is mandatory for murder in Malaysia. | The death penalty is mandatory for murder in Malaysia. |
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