Two Lithuanians who tortured a migrant worker before robbing him of �15,000 have each been jailed for 10 years.

Illegal immigrants Edgarus Taraskus and Marius Dirgela were described by a judge as "parasites" who preyed on their countrymen.

The two men, both of Edmonton, north London, were sentenced at the end of a five-week trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

A jury convicted Dirgela, 24, and Taraskus, 26, of three robberies, wounding with intent and false imprisonment.

Stab wound

They were cleared of seven other charges arising out of alleged offences committed in Lincolnshire between October 2000 and May 2001.

The jury heard how victim Mantas Jureglaitis was targeted after being trusted by Lithuanian workers to send savings back to their families.

The court was told he kept the cash at his flat in Boston, but was tracked down by Dirgela, Taraskus and another man.

Mr Jureglaitis was stabbed in the back and lost consciousness before waking up to find he had been tied up with tape.

The men searched the property and found �15,000, making off with it after torturing their victim until he passed out.

Extortion scam

A Slovakian friend, Stefan Drvar, was also robbed of �950 and warned he would have his ears cut off if he went to the police.

William Harbage, prosecuting, said Taraskus and Dirgela later returned to Boston to rob Latvian Arturs Liepins of �2,700.

Judge Jonathan Teare said it was the second trial this year in which money had been extorted from Eastern Europeans working in Boston.

Tomas Grumcius, 24, and Gediminas Barcys, 26, both in a gang that robbed migrant landworkers, were each jailed for eight years in August.