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 . Scroll down for video . 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 . A month later , a court sentenced to death a Malaysian shopkeeper for the killing of a French female tourist in 2011 , also on Tioman .
Aidan Brunger and Neil Dalton , both 22 , were killed in Kuching on Malaysia . Local Zulkipli Abdullah denied murder but admitted brawling with the pair . Death penalty by hanging is mandatory sentence for murder in Borneo . Newcastle students were on a work placement when they were stabbed .