MUSCAT, 22 March 2005 — The Criminal Court in Muscat has sentenced an Omani man to life imprisonment for trying to kill two Britons, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said in a statement.

Mohammed ibn Ahmed Al-Harthy was also ordered to pay compensation to the victims — 10,000 rials to Peter James Black and 8,000 rials to to A. Timothy.

“The court also ordered confiscation of the weapons used in the two cases,” said the statement, adding: “The ROP made investigations following reports of the two separate incidents of shooting in the Muscat Governorate. The suspect confessed to his crime during interrogation,” the statement said.