Borneo UK student killings: Local man convicted of murder

A Malaysian court has found a local man guilty of murdering two British medical students in Borneo.

Newcastle University students Aidan Brunger and Neil Dalton, both 22, were stabbed in a bar in Kuching, Sarawak, in August 2014.

Fishmonger Zulkipli Abdullah, 24, had denied their murder, but admitted being involved in a street fight with them along with two other men.

The penalty for murder in Malaysia is a mandatory sentence of death by hanging.

Aidan Brunger's father was in court. He wore a smart black suit and read a statement in a clear voice.

He said the loss of Aidan was "devastating" for his family. He described Aidan as a kind, considerate and generous person, an exceptional young man who had a promising career in medicine.

He said the murders were senseless and he was pleased with the guilty verdict

Mr Dalton, from Ambergate, Derbyshire, and Mr Brunger, from Hempstead, Kent, had almost completed a work placement at a hospital in Kuching.

They were found sprawled in the road by cafe workers in the Jalan Padungan area of Kuching in the early hours of 6 August last year.

At the time of their deaths, tributes were paid in the UK to the two men.

Martyn Cooper, head teacher at Belper School, Derbyshire, said Mr Dalton was "a "vibrant young man with a bright future ahead of him in the medical profession".

Professor Jane Calvert, dean of undergraduate studies for Newcastle University Medical School, said the students were in their fourth year of studies and "highly committed".