THE FRIEND of a man accused of the Nicola Furlong murder has been handed a three -year sentence for the sexual assault of her best friend.

James Blackston 23, a companion of Nicola Furlong murder accused Richard Hinds, was sentenced to “three years with labour” in a Japanese court today.

He will have 150 days deducted from the sentence for time already served in custody.

The conviction related to three separate sexual assaults – two on Nicola’s friend on the night she died and one on a separate woman some weeks previous.

Blackston was charged with sexually assaulting a Brazilian woman last April and assaulting Ms. Furlong’s friend in last May in a taxi that also carried Blackston and his friend Richard Hinds and Ms. Furlong to the KeioPlaza hotel in Tokyo.

The trial of Hinds, 19, for the murder of Nicola Furlong ended earlier today.

The judge said that Blackston assaulted Ms. Furlong’s friend to fulfil his “desire.”

Blackston, a professional dancer who has toured Japan with the Japanese-American R&B singer, Ai, on several occasions, showed no emotion when he was sentenced.

In his trial Blackston pleaded innocent and said that both women were telling “lies.”

The prosecution had requested a four year sentence.