A fishmonger has been sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of two British medical students who were stabbed to death in Malaysia.

Aidan Brunger and Neil Dalton, both 22, were attacked in a bar in Kuching, Borneo, in August while on a work placement at a nearby hospital.

Zulkipli Abdullah, 23, had denied murdering the Newcastle University students but admitted being part of a brawl with them and two other people.

The death penalty is mandatory for murder in Malaysia.

After the sentence was handed down, the parents of the victims paid tribute to their sons and spoke of the devastation their 'unprovoked and senseless' murders had caused.

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Murdered: Medical students Aidan Brunger (left) and Neil Dalton (right), both 22, were stabbed to death by a fishmonger while out in Kuching, Sarawak in August 2014 during a work placement in Malaysia

Zulkipli Abdullah walks out of court in Kuching, Malaysia after being sentenced to death for the murders

Prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad said the court ruled that Zulkipli's defence was 'merely an afterthought' and failed to raise any reasonable doubt in the case.

Mr Brunger, of Hempstead, Kent, and Mr Dalton, of Ambergate, Derbyshire, were discovered lying in the road in the early hours of August 6.

The two men had been working at a local hospital in Kuching - an area popular with backpackers.

They were stabbed and killed after an incident in a bistro or cafe in the early hours of the morning, an inquest into their deaths heard last year.

Five Malaysian men were later arrested but only Zulkipli was charged. His lawyer said he would appeal.

Their fathers positively identified their sons' remains when they were flown back to the UK.

In a joint statement today Phil and Jan Dalton and Paul Brunger and Sue Hidson paid tribute to their sons who they described as 'kind, funny and full of life'.

Mr Brunger (pictured) and Mr Dalton had been on a work placement at the Sarawak General Hospital

Mr Dalton (above) and Mr Brunger were discovered lying in the road in the early hours of August 6

They 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. 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. 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.

'Although we are pleased that the man responsible for their murders has been held accountable, the guilty verdict does not bring our sons back.'

Zulkipli Abdullah (pictured at an earlier hearing) has been found guilty of murdering the two students

They thanked their families and friends for helping through 'these distressing times' and asked to be allowed to 'grieve in peace'.

Their British lawyer, Kieran Mitchell, from Slater and Gordon, said: 'This was a savage and unprovoked attack which lead to the death of two young men who had travelled to Borneo with the sole aim of using their medical skills to help people.

'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.'

Violent crime against tourists and expatriates is generally rare in the Muslim-majority Southeast Asian country. But some recent incidents have sullied that image.

Malaysian police in June last year found the body of a 34-year-old British tourist on the resort island of Tioman. The case is still being investigated.