A Taichung court has handed down long prison terms to three young men who chased down and killed a homeless man simply because he would not lend them a lighter — a case the judges called cold-blooded and brutal.

• The attack began before dawn in Taichung's Daya district, after one man was refused a light for his cigarette.
• He came back with two friends, and the three punched, kicked, and hit the victim with a crash helmet.
• The victim ran to a nearby park, but they followed on foot and by scooter and kept beating him even after he fell and begged them to stop.
• He was found by a friend hours later, taken to hospital, and died about a week after the assault.
• The court found the men knew blows to the head could kill, and sentenced them to 14 years, 16 and a half years, and 11 years.

Outlook: The verdict can still be appealed, so the sentences are not yet final.