France Telecom’s former CEO and two fellow top managers have been sentenced to four months in prison for workplace harassment blamed for a wave of dozens of suicides.

Didier Lombard was found guilty along with his former deputy Louis-Pierre Wenes and human resources director Olivier Barberot of the former state-owned telecom giant.

They were each given a one-year sentence for "moral harassment", with eight months suspended, and a fine of €15,000 (£12,800).

The company itself, now rebranded Orange, was handed the maximum fine of €75,000. The landmark ruling could pave the way for other similar collective procedures in France.

Four other executives charged with "complicity in moral harassment" were given four-month suspended sentences and €5,000 fines.

The defendents were also ordered to pay a combined €3 million to the plaintiffs as well as victims' families.

The trial focused on the cases of 39 employees, 19 of whom killed themselves, 12 who tried to, and eight who suffered from acute depression or were signed off sick as a result of it.

It covered the period between 2007 to 2008 in which the former state-owned telecom giant was in the midst of a restructuring plan.

By 2009, some 35 employees had taken their own lives.