Three inmates who broke out of prison last October were sentenced to death Tuesday morning in Hohhot, capital city of northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a court said.

Jail breakers sentenced to death

The three men - Qiao Haiqiang, Dong Jiaji and Li Hongbin - were sentenced to death and stripped of their political rights for life in the sentence handed down by the Hohhot Intermediate People's Court.

The three stood trial on charges of using violence to escape prison, robbery and kidnapping.

On October 17 last year, four inmates in their 20s serving life sentences killed a guard, stole his uniform and wallet, and escaped the city's No. 2 Prison in a hijacked taxi.

They later commandeered a rural wagon and took a hostage when the taxi ran out of gas.

The escape prompted a three-day manhunt involving thousands of police officers.

Police shot and killed one of four convicts and recaptured the other three.

Only one of the three, Li Hongbin, lodged an appeal.

Police arrested the head of the prison and six other officials and guards for negligence shortly after the escape.