COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan ruling party politician and three accomplices were Friday sentenced to 20 years in jail for murdering a Britisher and raping his Russian partner.

The Colombo High Court said town council chief Sampath Vidanapathirana was guilty of killing 32-year-old Khuram Shaikh, an International Red Cross aid worker, who had tried to stop a brawl at a southern beach resort on December 24, 2011. After 33 days of hearing evidence, judge Rohini Walgama found Vidanapathirana, a member of President Mahinda Rajapakse’s Freedom Alliance, and three others guilty on all 16 counts that included culpable homicide, attempted murder and rape.

The four men were ordered to pay a total of 800,000 rupees ($6,250) as compensation to the Russian woman, who cannot be named, as well as fines of 20,000 rupees ($156) each.

Two other accused were discharged by the court saying there was insufficient evidence against them.