Two men were sentenced to 15 years in prison each for breaking into a home, robbing it and engaging in a shootout with police when the authorities tracked them down to make an arrest.

Long Kesaror, a judge at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, said Bou Sam Nang, 28, and Khean Tola, 26, were also each ordered to pay 10 million riel ($2,500) in compensation for items taken during the robbery.

The two were found guilty of breaking into a villager’s house in Sen Sok district’s Thmey commune in January last year while no one was home and stealing $5,000 worth of personal property.

“They have looted money and other valuable things and escaped,” he said.

The first charge of stealing with aggravated circumstance is tied to the robbery, but the second charge – using a weapon without authorisation – stems from the shootout that occurred when police tried to make an arrest in Sen Sok two days after the robbery.

“During the raid, they also opened fire, shooting about five bullets at our police,” Kesaror said.

The two men and their defence lawyer could not be reached for comment yesterday.