THREE men from the region were today sentenced to life in prison for carrying out an armed robbery which ended in murder.

Christophe Padiglione was shot dead and warehouse owner Francis Lemal seriously wounded in the armed robbery on a tobacco warehouse in Esch, southern Luxembourg, in November 6, 2000.

Keith Birkinshaw, 50, his 29-year-old son Edward, and Glenn Dawson, 27, all from York, were given life imprisonment at the Palais de Justice in Luxembourg city.

Keith Birkinshaw was found guilty of attempted murder and robbery, his son Edward of murder, manslaughter and armed robbery, and Glenn Dawson of murder.

The trio, whose ankles and wrists were shackled, bowed their heads as they heard the sentences from the three-judge panel.

They have been on remand in Luxembourg since November 2000 and each now faces 30 years in jail.

Presiding judge Prosper Klein also ordered nearly one million euros (about £660,000) to be paid in compensation.

During the 12-day trial last month the father and son, both of Invicta Court, Foxwood, York, accused each other of being the killer. The three Britons were identified after the attack by Mr Lemal, who survived only because a gun at his head jammed after he had already been shot three times.

Mr Padiglione died from a single gunshot wound.

Edward Birkinshaw admitted shooting Mr Lemal while under the influence of cocaine and heroin, but said his father murdered Mr Padiglione. Keith Birkinshaw blamed his son for the fatal shooting, saying Edward planned the robbery at La Tabatheque warehouse as the three drove from Calais to Luxembourg.

Glenn Dawson, of Cranfield Place, Foxwood, denied any involvement in the raid and the shootings, claiming he had stayed in the getaway car, sleeping off the effects of heroin.

Outside the court, Marianne Lemal, wife of the victim, said: ''I think this sentence is the only thing the court could have done. I'm happy."

The UK police liaison officer, Detective Inspector Allan Atherfold, of Kent Police, said it had assisted the Luxembourg police with its investigation.

''The investigation has taken us from Kent to Thirsk and we have been liaising with North Yorkshire police as well."

Mr Atherfold said Keith Birkinshaw, known as ''fat Keith'', was arrested in a house he owned outside Calais, France.

He said: ''Through intelligence, we knew Edward was coming to Folkestone Magistrates' Court to answer a case of driving whilst disqualified.

He was arrested there with an extradition order.

''And we knew Dawson was appearing at York Crown Court for a burglary offence. So we arrested him and he was also extradited.

''It was a major investigation.''

Presiding judge Prosper Klein ordered 507,560 euros to be paid to La Tabatheque, 202,000 euros to be paid to the family of Mr Padiglione, 195,000 euros to Mr Lemal and 25,000 euros to Mrs Lemal.