Seven Lankans get lengthy jail terms for trying to behead man

London, July 19 (PTI) Four Sri Lankans have been
sentenced to life imprisonment by a British court for trying
to behead a man with Samurai swords.
The Criminal Central Court also sentenced three others
Lankans to jail terms varying from three to nine years Friday
for the terrifying attack on a 20-year-old man in Alperton,
north London on Aug 28, 2006.
The seven Tamil gang members were accused of hitting
the victim on the head with a bottle and trying to behead him.
The victim fought with a cricket bat but his hand was
partially cut in the attack. The assailants fled after the
police arrived on the scene.
Kirubananathrada Gunaratnam, 32, and Senthurrajh
Thavapalasingham, 21, were sentenced to life term for
attempted murder, to serve a minimum of 12 years.
Sabesan Sivaneswaran, 20, and Aramugan Paratheeban, 24,
also got life sentence but will serve a minimum of eight and
nine-and-a-half years respectively.
Edward Jeganathan, 26, was jailed for nine years,
Selvarajah Mayuran, 28, to five years and Santosh
Panthaplavil-Sasidharan, 26, was handed down 3-year
imprisonment.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Andy
chalmers said: "The defendants thought they were above the
law, their conviction and lengthy sentence for this
pre-planned and brutal attack proves they were not.
"The fact that they have been removed from the Tamil
community and cannot continue to taint and intimidate the
law-abiding majority can only be good for the community as a
whole."
Police said that since the arrests of seven, criminal
damage in East Ham area of London has fallen by 80 percent
and reports of anti-social behaviour by 50 percent.