Two men, found guilty of murdering two elderly Amsterdammers in 1997, were jailed for 15 years by a court in the Dutch capital on Wednesday.

Melvin K, 34, and Miquel K, 35, were arrested last year after police re-opened their investigation into the 15-year-old double killing. The decision to look again at the case followed advances in dna technology which led to blood found at the scene being linked to the national dna database.

Henk Opentij (79) and his neighbour Mary Run (73) were killed in a house in Amsterdam Noord. They had been tied up, their throats were cut and they had been stabbed many times.

New research

However, one sample of blood found at the scene did not come from either victim.

New dna research led scientists to conclude the blood came from a man linked to a tip from television crime show investigator Peter R de Vries. Dna from a family member was also identified in the national dna base.

The court sentenced the men to 15 years in jail, rather than the 20 years called for by the public prosecutor, because it reflected sentencing in 1997, the court said. Both killers were 19 at the time and have expressed regret for their actions, the court said.