Curling iron illustration By: Tanya Malhotra

Four women were arrested, charged and convicted of murder after killing their friend because she was spreading rumors about them, prosecutors in Japan said.

Now, the Tokyo District Court sentenced the four women to prison after being accused of beating their friend in her apartment.

44-year-old Kaori Katsumata was sentenced to serve nine years in prison, while her three accomplices, aged 27, 21, and 20, received six years.

According to the police investigation, the four women used a curling iron to attack 31-year-old Taeko Hashimoto.

Hashimoto was discovered unconscious the following day in her apartment, and she was transported to a nearby hospital, where she died of her wounds.